The Outsiders
by bswanson71
Summary: What if the Curtis's twelve year old cousin came along? What if she was keeping a secret only her and her dead parents knew? How is the Curtis's dealing with a new family member and the deaths of Johnny and Dally?
1. Chapter 1

It was pitch black, scary black but I was running, running away from everything that was real or, thought was real. My parents pretended they didn't have child, pretended they didn't have me. Child abuse, always fighting and hitting me. I lifted my hand to were my face hurt and where they last beat me. When I brought my hand down it was covered in blood. I puked a little in my mouth scared that I would pass out before I made it to where I was going. It was the beginning of December so my hands where very numb and I was shivering like crazy so if I did pass out I would probably freeze to death before anyone found me even if it doesn't get that cold here in Oklahoma. You're probably wondering where I'm running to right? Well, I only know two families, mine and my cousins the Curtis's. The Curtis's include Darrel, the oldest, Sodapop, the middle child, and Ponyboy, the youngest. There parents died about two years ago so Darrel takes care of himself and his two kid brothers. Distracted thinking about the Curtis's, I trip over a rock and fall face first on the cement. My face started hurting even worse now. I get myself up and start running out of breath right away. My bag kept hitting against my leg that I quickly packed before I left including things I needed to stay at the Curtis's. Clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste and more but it also included a letter I wrote acting like I was one of parents saying they needed to take care of me and not saying in the letter that I was the one really writing the letter, not my parents. The word parents made shivers crawl down my back. My parents got shot before I left. Now I don't know if they where aiming at me and missed and accidentally hit both of my parents or if they where trying to aim for them, I don't even know if it was a boy or a girl! My bag also contained a locket that was empty. I'll never fill it with anything because there's nothing important to me in the world I thought to myself and my eyes started to blur but I quickly wiped the tears away. Last time I went to the Curtis's I don't remember it being this long to get there but I guess that was a while ago because their parents where still alive then. I suddenly saw there house, an old ruined brown one and gave a little grin as I stepped onto the front porch. I stood there wondering if I should ring the doorbell or not because I had no idea what time it was so I was scared I would wake them up but a light turned on in there living room and I quickly ran the doorbell. "I'm coming I'm coming" said a familiar voice and guessing it was Sodapop's. The door swung open and by the way Sodapop looked at me I thought he didn't regonize me at first. Did I really look that beat up? My thoughts where wrong because Sodapop clutched my arm and pulled me in. It took me a minute to heal from that because feeling the way I felt if someone jerked me that hard one more time I probably wasn't going to hold up good. "My gosh Susie what happened! Are you O.K?" Sodapop yelled staring at me real worried. Without giving me time to answer back he turned his back from me and screamed down the hall for Darrel and Ponyboy. I didn't realize my head was hanging staring at the ground so I pulled it up and straight ahead was a mirror and some sort of monster in it! I looked at it doing exactly what I did and figured out it was me. I was pretty terrible looking, my face was purple and black and everywhere there was blood. Also my nice brown, almost blond hair wasn't looking to good either. Now I'm not one of those girls that freak out if one strand of hair is out of place but I just don't like having it that messy because I hate brushing it. I stepped a little bit closer to the mirror to examine my new zombie look as Ponyboy and Darrel came rushing from the hall asking what all the screaming was about until they saw me. Darrel stepped into action as Ponyboy just took a step back staring at me with his mouth wide open looking a little pale like he was going to throw up or something. Ponyboy was always the one to just let Darrel do all the work when something shocking came to him and Soda was the type to want to help but never exactly knew how. Darrel pushed me on the couch so I could lay down and told Ponyboy to go get the first aid kit in the bathroom and Sodapop too make something hot but the way he pushed me I think I blacked out for a minute or two. When Sodapop and Ponyboy came back from making something hot and getting the first aid kit Darrel put a bunch of ointments or something on my face and put so many bandages on me making me feel like some sort of a mummy. Darrel then lifted my head so I could drink from the cup and discovering the hot drink was hot chocolate, my favorite. "O.K." Darrel said patting my head and slowly getting up, "You look real tired so you can rest here tonight then in the morning we can figure all this out." The three boys began walking towards the hall to their bedrooms but stopped and turned around when I said, "WAIT! I'm scared can someone please stay out here with me?" To be honest I wasn't scared at all but I was scared all my life until today and I needed someone to comfort me. All three exchanged glances at each other until Ponyboy finally said he would stay. Darrel and Sodapop both shrugged and headed off to bed. When Ponyboy was all comfy on the ground I asked, "Hey isn't it hard down there, on the ground I mean. You can just-" Ponyboy broke in and replied, "I'm O.K down here, you just get some sleep." I stared up at there ceiling for about ten minutes doing nothing and I heard Pony's breath get a little louder. "Ponyboy?" I called but he didn't answer back, he was asleep. I turned around a bit trying to find a comfy position because honestly the couch is not the comfiest couch to sleep on but after five minutes I slowly drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up by a rattle in the kitchen and figured it was just one of boys making some breakfast and by the way my stomach growled I realized I haven't eaten anything since yesterdays lunch so I was starving. I slowly got up so I wouldn't make to much noise if someone was trying to still sleep but fell back down because I couldn't bear the pain of my head. It always hurts before it doesn't I thought to myself knowing I probably wouldn't even feel it by tomorrow. I decieded I needed to battle this pain somehow and that way was going through life normal, but it wasn't normal know. Normal was having my parents punching and kicking me and crying myself to sleep ever night. Normal was being scared to tell anyone about them because I might be put in a foster home. Normal was the past but I sure did hope that there was a new normal without my parents and with the Curtis's... STOP, I told myself. I'm safe now and don't think about my parents, EVER! I got up off the bed and when I stood all the way I found that my head felt better than when I was lying down. I tried lifting my feet but found something blocking my way. I looked down and spotted Ponyboy curled up in a ball still sleeping. Not Ponyboy in the kitchen, only Darrel and Sodapop left. I tried dodging Ponyboy so I wouldn't step over him but that didn't work. Then I tried stepping over him but I tripped and fell on the other side of him. At least I made it across! I quickly turned around scared I woke him up but all he did was roll over and fall back asleep. Wow he sure is a deep sleeper. I remembered one time I woke up for a midnight snack when I was with my parents but I guessed I got up to loudly because my dad woke up and pounded me... I closed my eyes in pain trying so hard to forget them but failing because I knew my whole life was about them, every last second of it. I got up quietly again trying not to wake up Ponyboy but when I got up I gave up because if Ponyboy didn't wake up when I tripped over him he probably won't wake up if I walk a little louder than usual. I walked to the kitchen and peeked just my head around the corner. Sodapop was at the kitchen making I think was eggs and bacon but I guess he isn't the greatest cook because they where green, and smelt terrible like dirty socks that haven't been washed for over five years and plus they were not even sizzling right. I gagged a bit but made it quiet so Sodapop wouldn't hear and get upset. I remember one time when I told my parents I didn't like the food they have me and they real mad and started screaming and yelling at me. "Stop" I said softly to myself. "What?" Sodapop asked, I guess I said it louder than I thought I did. "Oh sorry, nothing." I answered quickly. I thought he would make me explain what I said like my mother used to do but all he did was shrugged and went back to cooking the green eggs and bacon. When I watched him it reminded me of a book my babysitter, Janie used to read to me before my parents fired her because they said they needed to spend more "time" with me. It was called 'Green Eggs and Ham' not green eggs and bacon but it doesn't matter much to the story what the food is just as long as it was green. It was by Dr. Suess and it was about a character named Sam I Am and he pesters this person into trying to eat the green eggs and ham but the man keeps declining saying he doesn't want to eat them. At the end he finally gives in and likes them. Hopefully that happens with Sodapop's eggs and bacon because I would hate to be rude especially on the first day I'm here. I looked up at Sodapop's face and he looked like a model or something he was that handsome! His baby blue eyes and his nice a bit long dark brown hair greased back like every greaser. He was also in his usually clothing, a checkered or almost plaid shirt with light blue jeans. "Is Pony awake yet?" Sodapop asked and I replied by saying no. "Figures, the kid could stay asleep if a train was in our living room but somehow wakes up when his alarm clock rings." Sodapop said as he sat down at the table and put my plate of eggs and bacon on the chair across from him facing the wall. "Great I'm starving" cried a voice behind me. I peeked over my shoulder and saw Ponyboy walking over scratching his head and sits down next to me. Wow I thought he sure is a bedhead but I probably look worse than him. I stared at him looking at his dark brown hair the same color as Sodapop's. "Oh come on Soda" Ponyboy says. Sodapop looked at him curious by what he said. "Nevermind" he sighs looking at his brother wondering how he couldn't guess what he meant when he first said it. I knew he meant the food. "How come you ain't serving chocolate cake like always?" Ponyboy asked. "Hey come on this is a special occasion! When was the last time we had company?" Sodapop answers. "Hey where's Darrel?" I asked "Oh ya Darry" Sodapop begins as I suddenly remember they call him Darry more than Darrel. "He's at work." "On a Saturday?" All he did was nod and say, "Sometimes."I peer over towards Sodapop and see him chowing down eggs. I look at Ponyboy and he looks at me and I just know were both thinking the same thing as we slowly push our plates away. How could he eat those! "Mmm!" Sodapop's said still with his mouth full he continues, "These are actually pretty good!" "I'm not that hungry" Ponyboy pipes up "You can have mine if you want." "Mmm thanks Pony!" Sodapop exclaims as he reaches towards his plate. "Hey you don't need to answer this if you don't want to but how'd your face get like that?" Ponyboy said and I realized he was talkng to me and not Sodapop like he was just a minute ago. Fearing I would have to tell him the truth about my parents I quickly came up with an answer. "I tripped over a rock when I was coming over here last night." I said knowing it was half the truth but not the whole truth. "You must have fell pretty hard than." said Sodapop as he picked up our plates to put them away. I nodded scared they saw right through me and knew I was lying. I guess they didn't because when Sodapop sat back down he came up with a question following Ponyboy's as he walked over to get his car keys. "We should bring you back home right now, your parents are probably frightened to death!" "WAIT!" I yelled because I suddenly remembered the letter in my bag I brought with me. I got up and jogged towards the couch I slept on trying to find it. I was so out of it last night I don't even remember where I put it. Did Sodapop take it and set it down when I first walked into the house or did I put it down somewhere. After about a minute of searching for my bag I found it by the front door. A moment later Sodapop and Ponyboy where reading it and I could remember exactly what I wrote.

Dear Mr and Mrs. Curtis,

I know this is sudden but Mr. Johnson and I have to move to the Midwest but we couldn't bring poor little Susie because of money problems and other expenses. Even before we decided to go it was hard to take care of her. We trust you the most and decided that you would be the best family for our sweet Susie. We will come back for her at least in six years when she will be a senior at the local high school. Susie is right now twelve and we would like her to start sixth grade at the closets middle school or where your three handsome sons went. If you don't want to take care of her we understand but we would like you to try.

Love,

Mr and Mrs. Johnson


	3. Chapter 3

When Sodapop and Ponyboy finished the letter they looked up and stared at me. It was a terrible silence until I couldn't take it anymore and had to stop it. "I don't think they knew your parents died when they wrote it." but after I said that I knew I shouldn't. What if they think I was being rude about their parents dying? I honestly didn't mean too! Talk about a beginning at my new home or if they even let me stay! What if they where great lie detectors and could tell that I was the one who wrote that letter and would throw me out? "How ya doing Susie?" asked a voice behind and when I turned in my seat I found that that voice belonged to Darry and he was smiling like crazy and we all knew except for him that that smile would fade right when he read the letter, talk about great timing. Sodapop handed him the piece of paper and sure enough his smile was no longer there. "Are you sure they couldn't bring you along?" questioned Darry after he had read the letter. "No." I began, "They couldn't and they already would be where they where headed by now." I thought in my head that yeah, they would be there, they would be in heaven or maybe even hell for how they treated me. "Wait, do you not know where they are?" asked Darry looking up at me now. Believe me I wanted to tell Darry and everybody the whole story and not lie like this but I knew if I did there was going to be a lot chaos and I would be put in some home. All I did though was shook my head no. Darry sighed and tried to whisper to himself but we could hear him loud and clear. "I should would hate to throw you out and not even try... How 'bout this, you stay with us for about, eh, two to three weeks and if it doesn't work out... I don't know what I'd do so hopefully it does." he paused for a moment and took a loud deep breath as he tried to figure out what to do next. "Ponyboy, Sodapop, go get that old fold up bed and put in your guy's room." They grinned as they left and I knew they where staying, for at least a couple of weeks. I couldn't help but burst out grinning myself because who knows what would have happened to me if they didn't agree to take care of me. I jumped up out of my chair almost tipping over because I jumped to quick and hugged and squeezed Darry with all my might and surprisingly he hugged and squeezed back. If I ever did that to one of my parents I would have been pried off and told to go do the dishes instead. I wished this moment would never end and get stuck in my head as the first moment with the Curtis's. Darry and I both got tipped over a bit as two more people came in to squeeze into the big, now group hug. About an hour later I had all my stuff unpacked all four of us where watching T.V. "How come you got home early today? You haven't left work this early since... forever!" exclaimed Sodapop. "Ha you really think I'm going to trust these rats with a kid for more than a couple hours!?" Darry answered back as he pulled Sodapop under his underarms. I couldn't help but giggle. "Oh you think that's funny?!" Darry asked me still smiling as he let go of Sodapop. I kept giggling not being able to stop myself. I quickly grabbed me and did the same thing as he did to Sodapop. I didn't hurt at all but it sure wasn't the comfiest place to be but I still couldn't stop giggling! It soon became a wrestling match first between Darry and Ponyboy and of course Darry won being the most fit one in practically the whole state of Oklahoma and then it was Sodapop and Darry and again Darry won. We all kept laughing as we all fell to the floor. We didn't even realize the T.V was on but suddenly by words of the news announcer saying "A whole year after the deaths of the two boys named Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston who saved the kids from the burning church in Windrixville." I kept on laughing figuring the news was like every other news thing where someone always dies but wow was I way off. Since that day I never saw life the same way again and will never see it the way I did before that day. They all get up hypnotized to the T.V and by now I stopped laughing wondering what the heck was going on. I looked at Ponyboy and he looked like he was going to burst into tears but if he did we never saw him because he took off running out the door and away down the street. I came running towards the window and before he was to far down to see him I saw a glimpse of him wiping tears away from his eyes. "Poor kid" says Darry with a sigh not saying it to anyone but the air. "I should probably go after him. You and and Soda stay here." Darry says as he heads down the road towards the way Ponyboy went. "You stay here I'm going to after him too." Sodapop says to me but I didn't listen and chased after all them. It was like a race to the finish line Ponyboy being first place, Darry being second place, Sodapop being third, and me at fourth. I knew Ponyboy was on the track team and I was scared we would never catch up to him but after about a couple minutes Ponyboy stopped at some sort of lot. When I got there Ponyboy was sitting there crying and Darry and Sodapop where trying so hard to comfort him but some how I knew it was going to take more than just a pat on the back. I sat down next to Sodapop and Darry as Ponyboy began talking. "Gosh you guys it feels like the brighter I turn the light on the more it gets darker. Ever since-" Ponyboy stopped and looked at me wondering if he should continue telling the story but decided yes. "Ever since Johnny and Dally died the worse and worse it gets. When I finished that book about them it took me so long to figure out a name but I finally figured one out, The Outsiders because that's exactly how I feel. Like I don't belong anywhere where I need too. I leave to see the sunset everyday hoping that I wouldn't feel so alone, that Johnny and Dally where watching me helping me through everything but every time I go I just keep crying. Before Johnny died he told me stay gold I think he meant it by the poem I told him by Robert Frost when we where in Winderixville." He then slowly pulled out a piece a paper and as he did that I noticed Sodapop and Darry crying too but trying real hard to hide it. I wanted to make this all better, to make it the day it was when we where laughing on the floor but all I could think of to say was this. "The only reason people cry is because they've been strong for so long." I don't know where I heard that from, maybe from a book but when I said it I knew I said the right thing because Sodapop pulled me into one of those one armed hugs and whispered in my ear so only I could hear "Thanks Susie." By then Ponyboy pulled out the piece of paper and we all found out it was a letter. _He let us read it and it said this. Ponyboy, I asked the nurse to give you this book so you could finish it. _Just by reading the first sentence I could figure out it was from Johnny. _The doctor came in a while ago but I knew anyway. I kept getting tireder and tireder. Listen, I don't mind dying now. It's worth it. It's worth saving those kids. There lives are worth more than mine, they have more to live for. Some of there parents came by to thank me and I know it was worth it. Tell Dally it's worth it. I'm just going to miss you guys. I've been thinking about it, and that poem, that guy who wrote it, he meant your gold when you're a kid. Like green. When you're a kid everything is new, dawn. It's just when you get used to everything that it's day. Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That's gold. Keep that way, it's a good way to be. I want you tell Dally to look at one. He'll probably think you're crazy but ask for me. I don't think he's ever really seen a sunset. And don't be bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself me what you want. There's still lots of good in the world. Tell Dally. I don't think he knows. Your buddy, Johnny._


	4. Chapter 4

I wiped my eyes finding myself crying. Ponyboy took back the letter as he started talking again. "It hurt me so bad when I read this because the only thing he asked me to do is tell Dally all this stuff. I guess Johnny can tell him now but I think he wanted me to more." A car rolled by and they all slowly hid there faces and I wondered why, was it because they where crying? We were to far away for them to see them crying. "Why are the socs here?" Ponyboy asked as the car went away. "That was them wasn't it?" All Darry and Sodapop did was nod there heads up and down. Socs. The name rang in my head as bullies and fighters. I never really went to school, always was home-schooled because my parents wanted to spend more "time" with me but I've seen socs once. Socs is short for socials and there the ones that have everything handed to them and are rich as the president. They drive mercedes and I've heard Ponyboy call them white trash and Darry swears when he sees them. The car drove passed us again now knowing they where watching us. "We better get home before anything happens in front of Susie." Darry said as he got up and wiped the dirt and grass off his jeans. "I think they know Johnny and Dally died exactly a year ago." We all started walking but the car kept on following us. We tried running but the car only got faster as it slowly drove in front of us so we had no where to go and a boy came out of the drivers seat and a girl with bright red hair from the passenger seat. I must have been hearing things but I think I heard Ponyboy sigh of... relief? "Ponyboy!" the girl with the red hair cried as she ran to him and hugged him. Why did this soc hug Ponyboy? I guess I looked really confused because Sodapop whispered to me, "I'll explain when we get home." "I'm so sorry about, you know" redhead said as she pulled away a bit to look at his face. "Hey Randy." Ponyboy said almost... happy to see him? "Hey" the man that came out of the car, Randy said. "I tried to tell Cherry that today would be a bad day to come see you but once she saw the news thing she forced me into it." So I guess the girl with the red hair was named Cherry. "It's okay we where just-" Ponyboy began but got cut off by Cherry. "Who's that pretty kid?" She came walking towards me with a big smile on her face. "Oh that's our cousin, Susie. She's going to be staying with us for, well, a long time." Ponyboy answered. "Oh Pony not to be mean but this neighborhood isn't really great for kids... my neighborhood isn't even good for kids. With all the fights that go around with the socs and greasers." "It's okay where not going to put her in the fights. Besides I don't like fighting and you know that. I'll probably stay home with her." Cherry sighed before saying "I know Ponyboy, I know." I looked at Randy and he looked at me before giving a quick almost invisable smile but I saw it. "We better get going we have to make it for dinner." Randy said getting into the car and turned the key. "He's right I'll see you on Monday Ponyboy!" Cherry yelled over the sound of the car. After they left we all started walking back to the house. "Who where they?" I asked before Sodapop answered grinning. "The girl with the red hair, Cherry is Ponyboy's girlfriend." Ponyboy blushed. "And the guy, Randy, well... you see Randy doesn't really want to be a soc so Ponyboy and him sort of became friends." "So he wants to be a greaser?" I asked curious. "Well not exactly... how do you explain it Ponyboy?" Sodapop said as he glanced at Ponyboy waiting for an answer. "He doesn't really like the whole greaser and soc thing. I think he just wishes that there was just people, not certain kinds of people you would be judged by if you hung out with them." Sodapop says because Ponyboy was daydreaming and didn't hear him and I guess Sodapop didn't want to repeat what he asked. "Hey Pony snap out of it." Darry says as he snaps his fingers in front of his face. "Huh? What did you say?" Ponyboy asks coming back to real life. "What you dreaming about huh?" Darry asks. Ponyboy looks at him and then looks at me before starting. "Well what if Cherry was right? What if something does happen to Susie like what happened to Johnny when-" Ponyboy gulped. "When we found him at the park, how he got his scar. The reason that happened was because he was to weak and small to defened himself." "No." Darry begins. "That happened to him because no one was with him, he was all alone. I never let you guys out alone much and I won't for Susie." "You know what I'm sick and tired of all this negative stuff. Come on all race all you guys home." says Sodapop as he takes off running down the street. We three left glance at one another and then shrug and take off running after him. We all had smiles on our faces and again I thought to myself that I never want this to end. When we finished eating dinner (peanut butter jelly sandwiches) we all sat down and flipped through the channels and especially quickly for the news about Johnny and Dally but there was nothing on but that. We all looked at Ponyboy thinking the same thing wondering if we could watch that without Ponyboy getting upset. "I'll watch it if you want me too. I swear I won't cry." Ponyboy said grinning. We turned up the volume on the remote and watched as the news reporter talked. "It has been exactly one year since the deaths of the two teenage boys by the names of Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston. It all started when Johnny and and his friend by the name of Ponyboy Curtis and a group of other boys broke into a fight." the T.V showed a picture of Ponyboy. "Hey look it's you! What's with the blond hair?" I exclaimed. All of the boys started laughing but before I got an answer the news reporter began again. "During the fight the group of boys where drowning Ponyboy and Johnny had to act fast. Without thinking he quickly through a blade out and stabbed it in one of the boys while the rest ran off." Did that really happen?" I asked frightened. Who was this Johnny guy really like? Was Ponyboy friends with a murderer? All Ponyboy did was nod and the news reporter started talking again. "It was simply self-defense, they where going to kill Ponyboy otherwise said Johnny. Johnny worried he would be sent to jail and Ponyboy worried about being put in a boys home because of him only living with his two older brothers, Sodapop and Darrel Curtis. The both hopped on a train to the city Winderixville and stayed in an old abandon church for hiding. Soon there friend Dallas came to come and say it was free to come back home. On the way back they spotted the church on fire. Both Johnny and Ponyboy jumped into the burning church to save the younger kids trapped in there. All of the kids survived but Johnny had a piece of timber fall on his back and broke it and was burned survirally. Of course people found out they where the ones who killed the man but their judge let it slide by self-defense. Johnny died a few days after and Dallas got shot." Suddenly a video came up of Ponyboy. "I just wish I could talk to them one more time." That was the end of the news and I slowly looked at Ponyboy not understanding how I didn't realize it was that bad. "Did that really happen?" I asked tears rolling down my cheek. "Yeah but gosh I wish it didn't." Ponyboy answered wiping away my tears. "I'm sorry I don't mean to cry." I said shedding even more tears. "It's okay, cry all you want it's not doing anything bad." Ponyboy said. "It's not doing anything good either." I muttered to myself as softly as I could so no one could hear me. "How would you like it if I showed you something." Ponyboy asked as I nodded my head. "Is that okay Darry?" he asked looking over my head towards where Darry sat and Sodapop laid on the couch asleep. "Yeah that's fine just don't stay up to late." he whispered as he got up and tried not to wake up Sodapop. "Boy, I'm not surprised he fell asleep he hasn't slept for days ever since Sandy sent a letter back to him." he began. "Well we might as well leave him on the couch, it would be impossible to carry him. Ponyboy, Susie? Can you put this blanket on him it's gonna get real cold and I got to get some sleep." he said as he handed Ponyboy and I the blanket and headed off to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

As we put the blanket on him I said jokingly, "We should draw a moustache and beard on him." Ponyboy stops and looks at me. "I used to do that all the time to him when I was younger. Wow, I used to have so much fun doing that." "Who says you can't do that when your older?" I asked and we both smiled at each other thinking the same thing. "I'll go get a marker." Ponyboy said as he went to a drawer by the couch. Sodapop kept moving around and almost waking up but I think we did a pretty good job. I can't wait to see his face in the morning when he sees what we did him! After our "moustache adventure" we went outside to and I followed Ponyboy to what he wanted to show me. It only took a bit of a walk but we finally made it. You could see the sun slowly going down over the horizon as we slowly sat down. "This is the lot me and Johnny would go to when we just wanted to get away from everything you know? We would sit out here for hours talking. Eveyday I come out here to see the sunset, think about Johnny and Dally or just regular thinking. This is the only place where Johnny and I wouldn't feel like outsiders, where we could make our own world." he slowly sighed and leaned his head back watching the nice orange and yellow sky. "Johnny was real important to you wasn't he." "Sure was. The nicest guy I meet. Never did anything bad but boy where his parents bad. They would beat him and kick him and everything you could imagine, just terrible people, real awful. If you could imagine a puppy that's all alone and was beat up that's Johnny for you." So Johnny had parents that where mean to him too!? Ponyboy said he felt like Johnny was watching him when he came here and knew what he felt. Does mean he knows what I feel like? Does he know how bad my parents where to me? It was probably my imagination but I could feel Johnny saying yes. Ponyboy kept continuing. "You know sometimes I come out here and talk to him acting like he's going to answer back. That probably makes me sound crazy, most people think so." "I don't think you're crazy at all. Just a person who lost a real dear friend that's all." "You're different than most people you know that Susie. Not in a bad way, in a good way, you see and hear and feel things differently. You're really special and you may not see that now but you will I promise." He lifted his head up and saw me shaking and put his coat over me."There." he said. "You need it more than I do I think." He then slowly laid his head against my shoulder. After that we watched the so beautiful it's non-describable sunset and watched the stars come out. I usually can never see Orian's belt only on days that are one of the bests in the world and I still don't forget them. The last time I saw Orian's belt was when I meet Jill Parrish, now my best friend and then I knew I would never forget her. I meet her when I went outside once, she was my neighbor and we would play, laugh, dance all over the yard. Then she moved. She always writes letters though and I always reply but I can't anymore because the mail isn't sent here anymore. Today though, I saw Orian's belt and a bunch of others like the big dipper and the little dipper. I knew that coming here was one of the best chooses I ever made. I realized that Darry will probably get worried pretty soon and that we should get home but when I looked at Ponyboy he was asleep cuddled up on my shoulder. It was sort of sad watching him, knowing he was probably thinking of Johnny and Dally but then I figured if he was he would be dreaming of the happiest time they had together, where he saw his Orian belt. I really didn't want to wake him but Darry does get made if Ponyboy is out towards the end of the night and what if a soc comes over? One that's not like Randy or Cherry. I slipped out so where he wasn't leaning on my shoulder and he slowly started falling without my shoulder as support but I caught him without him waking up and falling all the way. I slowly started shaking him. "Ponyboy wake up we got to get home." I said and the word home made me sort of grin. I won't be calling my old house home anymore, now the Curtis house was home. I quickly figured out that shaking him softy wasn't going to work remembering this morning how he didn't do anything when I tripped over him. I started shaking him more violently. "Come on Ponyboy! Darry's going to get mad at us for staying out to late!" Then Ponyboy muttered, "What?" and he slowly moved a bit in my grasp. I sat him up and said again, "Wake up Ponyboy!" and now he fluttered his eyes a bit and cocked one eye open. I smiled relieved that he finally has woken up and grabbed his arm and pulled it helping him stand up. "Come on Darry's gonna get mad." I said not yelling at him anymore. We walked to the house tiredly and when we walked past Sodapop's moustache drawing we didn't even laugh because right when Ponyboy climbed into his bed he shared with Sodapop and I climbed into the cot right next to him we both fell asleep instantly. I woke up opening one eye and found the stars still up and it was pitch black. I forced my eyes open and sat up scratching my head. That cot sure was comfier than the couch last night! I pushed myself up into a standing position and saw Ponyboy roll over in his sleep. He kicked off all the covers and now they where all on my cot. I straightened out the blankets and put them back on him. I fell back asleep again._ My parents where hitting me, slapping me, kicking me. I struggled to get free but couldn't because where grasping me so tight. There where tears and blood rolling all over my face. I tried to sit up they pushed me back down with another kick. "Please stop!" I screamed at them put they wouldn't listen. They kicked me again right in the stomach and I hurled on them and that followed by another kick and screaming. One of them left and came back with a baseball bat and started up again. "Please-" I began but suddenly there where two gun shots and then two dead bodies right I front of me. My parents. My thoughts filled with relief and confusion but suddenly the two bodies became three and it turned into Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry. I fell backwards and burst into tears and screams... _"AHHH!" I yelled and shot up like light from my bed. "What?!" Ponyboy asks as I just woke him up. He looks at me and begans again in a softer voice. "Oh my gosh what's wrong? You're sweating bullets! Here come lay here for a bit." He said tapping the open space on the bed where Sodapop's spot would be. I climbed up still trying to catch my breath after being frightened to death. Death. Don't say that, I told myself. We both laid down as he cuddled up close, pulled his arm around me and stroked my soft brown hair. I was still crying so Ponyboy said, "Shhh it's all over now. It was just a nightmare, it's all gone." I heard footsteps from the hallway coming to our room. It was Darry. "Hey, what's wrong I heard a scream!" he said looking at us. "No it's okay Darry, she just had a little nightmare.." Darry didn't listen and came closer and sat on the bed staring at me with his big blue eyes with sorrow and worry. "Do you need anything? A glass of water?" he asked but all I could do was shake my head no because my throat was clogged with tears. "Okay." he said getting off the bed. "Hey Ponyboy if you need help just come get me okay?" and with that he walked away and closed the door. "Just try to get some sleep okay Susie? It's only 2:00 in the morning. I'll be right here the whole time." Ponyboy said still stroking my hair. I sniffled and gave out a big long breath trying to calm myself down. Think about what Ponyboy said, It's all over now. It was just a nightmare, it's all gone. And with that I fell asleep with no more nightmares for that night.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up with Ponyboy's arm still around and still cuddled up. His other arm was in my hair knowing that he stroked my hair till he fell asleep. I flipped over and looked at him. Ponyboy was like a big brother to me and the Curtis's was my new family. Yeah I only spent one day with him but like I said before I saw Orian's belt letting me know it was right to come here. I know that might sound really dumb but to me Orian's belt is like a shooting star to people. If you spot it you can't let it go without saying a wish even if you don't believe it will work. I looked outside and the sun was so bright I thought someone might go blind going out there and the trees where filled with nothing. Being December 3rd the trees don't need anything but that doesn't always mean it will snow anytime soon. I remember the first time I saw snow I wanted to go play outside so bad seeing the ground covered with white. My parents only shut all the windows and told me no so I've never really been in snow or touch it or anything. When I would get letters from Jill she said it snowed so much to where she moved she was going savor it forever. She would tell me all the fun things you could do in it and giving me advise for if it ever snowed in Oklahoma enough where you can go sledding but it never did. The grounds would just turn green and brown and leaves all over. It was dull and plain and boring. I slowly grabbed Ponyboy's arm and lifted it out of the way so I could get out. "Where you going?" someone asked and when I looked behind me it was Ponyboy. "So how come you wake up when I lift your arm but you won't wake up when I'm shaking you like crazy huh?" "Oh no I was already awake I was just thinking." he said. I laid back down next to him thinking he might want to talk about it. "Hey how would you like to go with me, Soda, and Darry to where the church was. I haven't been there since Johnny and Dally's funeral plus I could tell you more about them if you want." "Are you sure you want too? Are you just doing this because you think I would want too?" I asked. "Well you see, whenever someone would ask me if I was the "guy that was friends with that dead kid" I would always say no and just walk away and I don't want to do that anymore. I can't keep hiding it. Come on I would want to and I'm sure you will like it." I smiled at him and he grinned. "Thanks for letting me stay in this bed last night." "Oh yeah you looked real freaked out." All I did was nod. I wanted to tell him about what I was really dreaming about but I couldn't, I just couldn't. I looked at the clock on the wall, it said 12:03. Wow, I thought. I've never slept for that long. My stomach growled. "You hungry? Come on lets get some food I 'm starving." Ponyboy said as he got himself out of the bed and went down the hall. I did the same and when we got to the living room we stopped. Darry and Sodapop were up but the moustache that we drew on his face was gone. "Hey you two." said Sodapop. "I liked the little moustache you two gave me, real clever." he said staring at us, all smiles. "Hey I was thinking of bringing Susie to Winderixville to see where the fire was and I was wondering if maybe you two would want to come. If you don't want to come it's fine but I need someone to drive us." said Ponyboy totally changing the topic from moustache drawing to burning churches. Both Sodapop and Darry looked up from what they where doing. "You said when we went to the funeral you never wanted to go up there again. What changed your mind?" Sodapop asked looking up at both of us. "I don't know I just, thought it would be a good idea. I've changed." Ponyboy asked looking at the ground. How come he didn't tell them what he told me when we woke up? Was he embarrassed? What happened to the Ponyboy from yesterday where he was almost afraid of thinking about anything of Johnny and Dally. "Yeah, okay, I can go along and drive you. Darry you want to come?" Sodapop asked. "Nah you two go along I have to get Susie into school for tomorrow." So I was staying. Not just for a couple weeks but a couple years! "First can we get something to eat?" I asked after my stomach growled again. "Sure we can stop somewhere." Sodapop said. After we all got dressed and all ready to go we jumped into Sodapop's pick-up truck, me in the back and Sodapop and Ponyboy in the front. Soon after we all piled in we headed down the road. "Hey just think Ponyboy you could be driving this car next year!" Sodapop said turning to look at Ponyboy. All Ponyboy said was yep and that was that. I've only been in a car once with my old babysitter Janie and I don't know what it is but it makes me sort of tired. Even though I was asleep for a long time last night I still kept opening my eyes from sleep or closing my eyes to sleep. I leaned my head against the cold window of the car and then finally I fell asleep. Someone was shaking me awake. "Susie we got some food." Ponyboy said. I opened my eyes slowly. "Ah there we go, it was a pretty long drive." he handed me the food as I ate the hamburger. I looked out the window and I guess we where at Dairy Queen. Ponyboy got back in the car and we all ate in silence until Ponyboy broke it. "This is where we went when Dally came to get me and Johnny." No one said anything back. After we finished eating we drove just a bit more until we where in the middle of no where and there was a field with a very brown colored bulding, the church. Sodapop parked the car and we all piled out. We walked quietly towards the field. There where two bumps in the ground with tombstones over them. One of them said Johnny Cade 1951-1967 and the other one said Dallas Winston 1950-1967. I looked up and saw the church, well what was the church, right now it just looked like a bunch of wood the was burnt but I knew it meant a lot. I slowly walked towards it and Sodapop and Ponyboy followed. There was no roof and the walls sort of caved in. "I remember an owl used to bug us when we stayed here. It's probably long gone by now." said Ponyboy with a sigh. I turned towards him and behind him I saw a batch of flowers. I quickly ran towards them and grabbed the two best ones out of all of them and put one on Johnny's grave and one on Dally's grave. I looked up at Ponyboy and he smiled and pulled me into a one armed hug and Sodapop pulled Ponyboy into a one armed hug. Even if I didn't know Dally or Johnny it felt like they knew me. I felt like they knew me way before. When I learned how to walk, when I learned how to ride a bike, and when I met Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry. Almost like they lived my life with me. I couldn't imagine what it would have felt like losing Johnny or Dally, maybe like if I lost one of the Curtis's but I knew it must have been hard. We spent a long time at the church and when we got home it was already passed sunset and was real dark outside. We all sat in the living room and watched Mickey Mouse. "Hey I got Susie into a school shes going to go where you went Ponyboy." said Darry. "Thanks." I said and we all watched some Mickey Mouse before it was time to go to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

I woke up between Ponyboy and Sodapop because Ponyboy insisted that I sleep there so I didn't wake up screaming. They where both hugging me in there sleep and I quietly snuck out and into the living room and stopped cold. There where two guys around the same age as Sodapop sleeping the couch. I quickly ran towards the bedroom Sodapop and Ponyboy where sleeping in. I shook both of them awake and whispered, "There's two boys in your living room asleep on the couch!" Sodapop laid back down. "Oh Susie that's just probably Two-Bit and Steve." "Who are they?" I asked. Do they let strangers come spend the night at there house all the time? "There friends of ours, sometimes they spend the night here. Come on you can meet them plus you have to get ready for school I think Darry bought you a bunch of school supplies." Ponyboy said and got up. Sodapop and I followed as we went to the living room to meet Two-Bit and Steve. They where awake now just sort of talking to each other when they saw us. One of them had brown hair sort of in his face wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt and the other had black hair with a torn up shirt and sort of looked like Sodapop "Hey Pony, hey Soda, hey-" said the one with brown hair but got cut off by the other. "Who's that?" he said pointing me. "This is Susie, she's our cousin and she's gonna be staying here for a while. You two scared her to death when she got up and went to the living room." Ponyboy said looking at them and then turned towards me. "That's Two-Bit." he said pointing to the one with brown hair. "And that's Steve. Him and Soda are best buddies." he said pointing to the one with black hair. I nodded and stared and both of them as they stared at me. "Okay." said Sodapop rubbing his hands together. "Who's hungry?" We all grinned as Sodapop went towards the kitchen and got out some chocolate cake and handed a bowl to everyone. "Wow now this is what I call breakfast." I exclaimed smiling. "I heard Darry already leave for work." said Two-Bit. "Oh I better get going to the DX station then!" Sodapop said and ran towards the bedroom and put his work clothes on. Once we all got dressed and Sodapop, Two-Bit, and Steve left it was just me and Ponyboy left. "Okay now if anyone asks if you're a greaser or a soc just don't say anything and especially don't say you're staying with us." Ponyboy said looking at me stern. "Why?" is all I could think of. "Because we might get into some serious trouble if they find out you're staying with us. Lets just say people around here don't believe in not hitting a girl. Would you like to get beat up?" I shook my head violently remembering how it was when my parents did that. My face started to hurt remembering the time they first slapped me. They used to be so nice and then one day when I was seven they just slapped me for no apparent reason and then laughed about it like it was one big joke to them. "We better go catch the bus." Ponyboy said as I grabbed my stuff and he ran outside as the bus was just coming towards us. We hopped on and there where kids throwing stuff, it was loud, and it was very small spaced. Ponyboy and I jumped into seat 5 with me closer towards the window. "Darry said that I don't need to go to school and I can help you around." "Okay." I said and leaned my head back. I've never really been on a bus and I sure wouldn't call it one if the exciting things in life, maybe one of the worse. I guess Ponyboy say me being uncomfortable because he said, "You'll get used to it." "Hey whose that kid Pony?" some kid across from us asked. "Just a girl I'm helping out that's all Timmy." Ponyboy answered not even looking at him. The kid, Timmy shrugged and turned around to talk to his other friend. When we got to the school the high school where Ponyboy went and the middle school where I'm going to where connected. Everyone jumped out of the bus and I went with Ponyboy to the high school office for him to give a pass saying he was going to spend the dy at the middle school helping me. As we walked out of the office me and Ponyboy spotted Cherry but surprisingly Ponyboy didn't even wave. "How come you didn't say anything to Cherry?" I asked Ponyboy as we walked to the middle school and Cherry left. "Well since she's techanically a soc and I'm a greaser we sort of keep it secret." I was a little disappointed. Why should it matter that much about whether you're a greaser or a soc but suddenly the play Romeo and Juliet came to mind and how that story didn't end probably the way they wanted it too. "Do you have your schedule in your bag?" Ponyboy asked as I dug in my bag to find it. "Oh okay you have English first with Mr. Anderson." said Ponyboy after I took out the schedule. The classes I had before lunch pretty much where like that, Ponyboy would show my classes but lunch didn't really turn out right. Ponyboy went to lunch in high school and I was all alone in the corner of the caferteria, eating alone. "Hey." said one girl about my height as she sat down next to me. She had long blond hair with freckles all over. For most people you can tell if there a greaser or a soc but this girl was hard to tell. "You looked a little lonely so I came to sit by you. Are you new here?" she asked curious. I nodded because my mouth was full of food. "I'm Katherine, what's your name?" Katherine asked. I finished swollowing and answered back, "Susie Curt- I mean Johnson, Susie Johnson." I spent so much time with the Curtis's I'm practiculary saying I'm their sister but I remembered Ponyboy saying not to say I was staying with them and saying Curtis might give it away. "Aren't you in Mrs. Henderson's class for 3 period?" Katherine asked finally digging into her food. "Yes." was all I could say. "Yeah I thought you looked familiar. Hey maybe we could hang out sometime or if you don't want to that's fine I just thought-" "That would be nice." I interrupted and I meant it. Even though I only met her a couple minutes ago she reminded me of Jill and I needed a new Jill but suddenly a question crossed my mind that could keep this friendship blooming or drop it down the drain. "Are you a greaser or a soc?" I asked scared what the answer might be. "What are you?" she asked. Ponyboy said to walk away from anyone who asked that but I didn't want to walk away from Katherine so I just put my head down. "Oh you're one of those who don't want to say, I see. Well I won't say until you say." Katherine said. "I won't say until you say." I said. "Well I guess we will never know will we." Katherine said but surprisingly that didn't seem to bother her, almost like she was glad she didn't know and I was glad I didn't know. Katherine and I talked the whole lunchtime, giggling, laughing, it was like a new person came into me. I wasn't the girl who was frightened from everyone who came near me, scared they where like my parents. I could just feel the future looking brighter and brighter. I had a great life now and nothing was going to break that, well almost nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

I was walking towards where the buses where at the end of the day. Ponyboy had to leave for track practice so I was all alone. I could see socs and greasers getting in fights down the hall hoping desperately I wasn't going to be in one of those fights. My thoughts where wrong. "Hey new kid!" a boy shouted and I looked around and spotted a soc catching up to talk to me. I really didn't want to stop but it felt like my feet where glued to the ground. "I saw you talking to one of those greasers, you shouldn't hang around them." he said while two of his other friends surrounded me into a corner. I wanted to scream and get away but most of all I wanted to defend Ponyboy. "Why shouldn't I talk to greasers! Stalkers!" I screamed and tried to get away but they pushed me back into the wall. I really should have not said that I thought to myself. This is exactly what Ponyboy didn't want and maybe Darry will decide to let me go. "Ha did you hear what she just called me boys? Did you hear what I heard?" the boy said talking to his friends grinning. The worst two words came from one of the boys friends that I dreaded hearing. "Get her!" he shouted and started hitting me. I could feel everyone in the halls stop and stare as they beat me. This isn't going to end good. Orian's belt was just a dream. "Stop it snobs!" a voice real familier said as the boys stop hurting me. I looked up scared with tears rolling down my eyes. It was Katherine. She really did care about me, she was helping me. "Oh yeah and what are you-" said the boy but suddenly the crowd and the boys walked away pretending they didn't see me. I wondered why and finally realized that the principal was coming down. I quickly got up and turned around so he wouldn't see my tears because that would just lead to a a meeting in the office and having Darry come down. I guess the principal didn't see the fight because he walked right by the boys and yelled at someone for throwing a paper airplane. I ran to Katherine, hugged her and whispered in her ear. "Thank you." as she whispered back I mine, "No problem." After a very long hug we finally let loose. "Hey you should take a look in the bathroom, I don't think your parents are going to be to happy if they find that on your eye after the first day of school." I hated how she said parents but ignored it. "Where's the bathroom." I asked as she brought to it. When we got in I stared at the mirror and saw a big black circle around my eye. "They beat me pretty bad didn't they." I said. "Well it sure didn't look good." Katherine answered back. "Thanks for all your help but I got to catch the bus before it leaves. I'll see you tomorrow." I said as I walked out. It was a long bus ride home giving the fact that mine was the last stop but some how I survived. I hopped off the bus saying thank you to the driver and headed towards the smallest house on the street and let myself inside. "Is anyone home?" I called out knowing that Ponyboy was at track but at least Darry and Sodapop would be home right? "Hello? Sodapop, Darry? Anyone?" I yelled a bit louder know. I looked out the window that showed the front yard and the trucks where gone. I set down my bag wondering what to do. T.V... nah. Homework... defiant no! I shrugged all the ideas that came to my head and decided to just be bored. I walked down the hall to me, Ponyboy, and Sodapop's room and crawled onto Ponyboy and Sodapop's bed and covered myself in blankets. I laid there for a couple minutes just staring at the ceiling thinking. I rolled over and dug my nose into the pillow. I could smell the fragrance of shampoo that they use. I looked up towards the dresser and saw a drawer hanging open. I got out of the bed and went to see what was inside. I pulled the drawer a little more and there was an old picture book. I lifted it up and sat it down on the bed. I could tell no one has opened it for years because there was dust mice all over the cover. Wanting so desperately to see what was inside I opened towards the first page. I could tell who the picture was right away, it was Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy when they where just little. Ponyboy's fifteen now and by the look of the picture he was maybe four at the most six. I couldn't help but laugh. Sodapop was in a real bad mood because he had a little pouty face going on and had his arms crossed over his stomach and by the look of it I think Darry was the one that made him that way. Ponyboy was carrying some sort of toy was showing the camera it. I flipped the page and this time it was a picture of the whole family, the brothers and there parents. They looked so happy, they weren't afraid of their parents like I was. I wished so dearly that I was in that picture too. I flipped the page again and this time Ponyboy was about ten and was with two boys, one a little dark and the other real pale. I took the picture out of the protection thing and flipped it over. It said _Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dallas 1957._ It was Johnny and Dally! I put the picture back in and flipped through more pictures of Johnny and Dally. All of them looked real happy, certain that the happiness would never go away. When I was flipping through the pictures I even saw some pictures of Two-Bit and Steve. I flipped to the last page and found a really recent one. It was everybody. Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry, Johnny, Dally, Steve, and Two-Bit. I flipped over the picture and it was taken only a bit over a year ago. Nobody was smiling, they where all laughing at an inside joke that they said before the picture was taken. I looked up and there was someone watching me but it wasn't Sodapop, Darry or even Ponyboy.


	9. Chapter 9

It was a girl, red hair brown eyes, it was Cherry. "What are you doing here and what happened to your eye?" I asked standing up alarmed. "Ponyboy said I should come over and watch you because he realized Sodapop and Darry would be at work. I didn't mean to scare you." "Oh." I said taking a deep breath. "It's okay and my eye, I fell. So um... did he say when someone was going to be back?" All she did was shake her head no. "What do you want to do?" Cherry asked. To be honest I didn't want to do anything with her, I barely knew her! I wanted her to go away so I could dig around in Ponyboy's stuff and see if I could find more pictures without making it seem weird with her around. Would Ponyboy be mad if I didn't do anything with Cherry? What if Ponyboy was like my parents when they got mad... No, he isn't like that. He would never, ever do anything to hurt me but my parents said the same thing before they started to beat me... Stop! I screamed to myself and winced at the thought of it. "What's wrong?" Cherry asked coming closer. I quickly backed away, I didn't want to be any closer to her. "I'm fine I just... hit my toe on the bed." I lied. Did Cherry know I was lying? Was she one of those lie detector people that could tell if anyone was lying to them or someone else? I stared at her wondering if she was. "Oh. Do need something to put on it?" She asked. All I could do was shake my head. "Are you hungry?" Another shake. "Do you want to go somewhere?" A light sparked in my head. Suddenly I thought of my house and then Jill. Is there a way to get the mail she probably sent without Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry knowing? I could use Cherry and make her drive me to the house and say they are family friends and I was suppose to pick up their mail for them because they where on vacation or something. "Can we drive to someplace? I promised I would check their mail for them. Their on vacation." "Sure, where is it?" Cherry asked. "Off of Mason Street." I said as we piled into her mercedes. I have never been in a car as nice as this one. It was a dream car for anybody. On the rear view mirror hung two pair of white dice and it tangled as we drove towards Mason Street. I suddenly felt guilt and sad. I couldn't do this to Cherry or Ponyboy, I can't lie to them like this. I had to think of a way to stop the car and go back home. "Um... Cherry I just remembered that Darry already picked up their mail." Cherry stopped the car. "Oh." she said and we sat in silence on the side of the street for a couple minutes until she finally said something. "Do you want to go get some ice cream?" I nodded my head like crazy. I have never had ice cream before in my life. My parents always said it was a waste of money but I would sometimes see them with a cone. One time when I saw them eating ice cream I asked if I could have some, let's just say that it didn't turn well and maybe a beating or two and ice cream all over my face and shirt. I quickly turned my head from the thought. We drove up hills and down hills and it was a pretty bumpy ride but we eventually got to a Dairy Queen. We both got vanilla cones and we sat down at our table. We actually had a very good time and I was starting to like her. We laughed and giggled at jokes and we just plain old talked. "Who's this?" someone said behind us. I quickly turned around and saw a boy about Cherry's age and had blond hair which was almost white with blue eyes and dressed real nicely, a soc. I started to squirm away from him remembering what happened from the soc in hall at school. "Oh Rob this is... my cousin, she came to visit." Cherry lied to him, Rob I guess his name is. "What's your name?" Rob asked coming closer as I tried to lean back on my chair to get away. Cherry shook her head telling me not to act afraid. I leaned a bit closer probably with terror in my eyes. If this guy ever found out who I really was I would run in the opposite direction because this guy was really big. "Susie." Cherry answered for me. "She's a bit shy so can you please stop acting like you're haunting her." Cherry continued a little rudely. "Ha right I have to go see you at school." Rob said as he turned away and went towards his friends waiting behind. "Who was that?" I asked finally sitting in my chair normally. "Let's just say I don't like him and you shouldn't either. If you ever see him walk the other way especially if you're with Ponyboy and them." After I heard that I remembered how Cherry and Ponyboy hid that they're dating. "How come you and Ponyboy try to pretend that you don't know each other when you're at school?" "You wouldn't understand." Cherry said as she put her cone down. "But I do. It's like Romeo and Juilet." "Yeah but Romeo and Juilet died at the end." Cherry said and I could tell she wasn't going to finish her ice cream and neither was I.


	10. Chapter 10

When Cherry and I got home everyone was there including Steve and Two-Bit."Hey you're home!" Sodapop said as I sat down on the couch. "I better get home, bye!" Cherry said as she walked out of the house. I looked over at the guys and I could see that all of them where staring at me. "What are you guys all staring at, ice cream on my face?" I asked as I reached my hand towards my face trying to rub off where the ice cream could me but suddenly a throb of pain came from my eye. I forgot about when the boy hit me at school. "Oh. My eye um yeah, I kinda hit it." I said hoping so bad that they believed it. "You mean SOMEONE hit it." Darry answered getting up and coming to look at it. Darn it! "My gosh what in the world happened?!" Darry cried after he examined it. "Ahh... Um..." I began but couldn't think of what to say. I couldn't just lie again when they knew what really happened, could I? "Please Susie, please." Ponyboy pleaded and then everything came out, everything. From meeting Katherine to the boy hitting me to Katherine saving me. I was about to continue to my parents and everything before I started staying with the Curtis's, I mean I was on the run but quickly cut myself off. "It was a soc wasn't it, I told you to be careful-" Ponyboy began but didn't say anymore because I cut him off. "I know I know." I needed to get out of here. The look of disappointment on their faces was to much to bare. "Can I please leave, I'm really tired." I whispered and tried to do a fake yawn but came out more like a scream. I knew they didn't believe that I was tired but I guess they figured I needed to be alone because they nodded there heads slowly. As I walked down the hall towards the bedroom I heard Darry say, "If I was there I would have beat him like crazy." At that moment I knew I was going to be safe here unless someone found out about my parents. I was lying on the cot, I couldn't fall asleep after what happened with the boy. It was about 9:00pm and everyone was still in the living talking but the bedroom door was closed so I mostly just heard mumbles talking to mumbles. I winced at the thought that they're probably talking about me. I rolled over in my bed and slammed my pillow down over my ears so I couldn't even hear the mumbles anymore. I tried to fall asleep but still couldn't, it was useless. I let go of the pillow and threw it across the room and it hit the wall with a thump. Tears where coming down my checks. I wanted to throw more things but somehow it felt like I couldn't even lift a feather, like the tears drained all my strength out and I was just a pile of cow manure. Nobody stops and wonders if the little thing needed someone to love them to care for them! I knew I was over doing it because even I don't stop and wonder that and I usually do to most things, wondering if they felt like I did. There must be someone in the world that thinks and feels the way I do. That their parents where mean too. "Why me!" I screamed but not so loud that anyone could hear me from the living room. Screaming made me feel good, powerful, something I never felt when I was with my parents. I kept on screaming hoping it would work like that again. "Nobody understands how I feel! I look out the window and see happy children and adults that have a family! Why couldn't I have been one of those kids! I probably have the worst life ever and all I get is an even more worse life! I had the worst parents! Beating me and pushing me around! I finally found people who love me and the first thing I do to them is lie because I'm afraid!" I shut me mouth quickly. I was afraid. Of course I knew I was afraid of my parents but maybe they did what they did because they knew I was afraid. What if they knew I was going to be to afraid to tell anyone about what they did. If they knew that then that was like them getting a freebie, knowing that they could keep doing that and never getting in trouble. I now understood why but I would never be brave enough to stick up for myself or for anyone else like Katherine did. Never ever. I started wimpering hopping so bad that life would get better, just a little bit. There must be a reason, there must be. I kept reminding myself that as I slowly drifted asleep still feeling the stain of tears on my eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

"Soda!" I woke up by a scream outside and then by another. "Darry!" Another scream. It was coming from outside. The living room went quiet because there was no more mumbles and then a bunch of rustles came. Something was wrong. I ran to the window practically tripping on everything but I somehow made it to the window and looked left and right trying to see where the shouts where coming from. I saw Sodapop, Darry, Steve, and Two-Bit start running from the door heading towards the left. I leaped high in the air when I saw what they where running too and I jumped out of the bedroom and out the front door. The screams where coming from Ponyboy. I followed everyone as they looked back and spotted me. I knew they didn't want me along because it might be dangerous but I kept running. "Stop!" it was another scream from Ponyboy."Please stop." I whispered to myself. I could see Ponyboy with about five other greasers getting beat up. It looked awful. Is that was it looked like with my parents and I? Was it that bad? I couldn't watch it, the pain from my heart came flying out of me. Please don't cry please don't cry. Thinking that in my head somehow made it seem like I had to cry harder and harder till I could hardly breath or walk. I slowly stopped staring at Ponyboy getting beat and everyone else coming to rescue and it made me know that I never had someone coming to the rescue for me. It was just two against one and I was not even one but probably only a half. The boys where still very far away from Ponyboy and all five socs could throw numerous more punches and kicks at him. "Please don't hurt him." I whimpered. All that did was make it worse, I was a jinx. One of the socs threw a hard punch right to his gut and another right to his face and Ponyboy flew backwards hitting his head on the cement. Hard. I gasped as that happened and with my bug-eyed face saw Ponyboy lying on his back not moving a muscle. "No!" I shouted and found the strength to move my legs and ran as fast as I could to Ponyboy. Right now I wonder if I ran faster than Ponyboy in a track race. The socs started fighting first by hitting Darry, Sodpop, Steve, and then Two-Bit. I didn't want to get into the middle of this so I quickly put the brakes on and paused. At first it looked like the socs where winning but that all changed because Darry was getting madder and madder. Darry hit one big hard punch right up someones face and soon after that another one and then another one until all five where hit and started running away back into their mercedes parked close by. As they drove off all of them cheered but that all left when they finally noticed Ponyboy laying there not moving or saying anything. This I knew was my time to come running over. "Is he okay?" I asked out of breath and sat down next to Ponyboy as the rest of the guys kneeled down. They all looked at each other and I knew he wasn't okay, he wasn't okay at all. "We got to bring him in the house." Darry said and everyone helped lift him up onto Darry's back expect for me for two reasons, one because I lost control of my body and couldn't move it and second because he was probably to heavy for me to carry anyways. We all started walking in silence not making a noise except for Ponyboy who kept mumbling something but no one could understand him."Please be okay." I whispered with my head down knowing they all heard me probably even Ponyboy but I was hoping they did so they knew I cared about him too. When we all walked into the house Darry set Ponyboy on the couch and went to get the first aid kit and some ice for everyone. I didn't notice before but everyone was all beaten and bruised from fighting the socs. Two-Bit had a black eye, Steve had a bunch of cuts, and Sodapop had a big bruise running down from his eye to his jaw on the right side. Darry was the only one who actually looked pretty good except for maybe a cut here and there. I looked over at Ponyboy and practically fell over. Now that we where in the house with more light than the dark sky outside I could see what happened to Ponyboy more clearly now. His face was covered in blood with bruises and cuts and everything you could imagine was on his face. He reminded me of me when I first came here but I could see it was worse. I had to turn away from him knowing I couldn't watch him like that. "Help." Ponyboy mumbled being the first word that we could hear. Sure wasn't the best first words but at lease they where words and that meant he was getting better, right? "Shh, it's okay now, you're safe, just go back to sleep." Darry said coming back with the first aid kit and ice and handing it to Sodapop, Steve, and Two-Bit. Tears where starting to form again because I knew it might not be okay. Two-Bit and Steve only stayed for a little bit after that until they had to go met someone called Tim Shepard whoever that is and it was just me, Darry, and Ponyboy but not Sodapop because he went to bed knowing he had to get up for the DX station tomorrow. "You should get some sleep it's pretty late out." Darry said as he yawned and stood up. I shook my head, I wasn't leaving for the world. I wasn't going to leave Ponyboy's side and I wasn't going to fall asleep. Darry shrugged and headed off to bed. I turned over to Ponyboy frightened by what the socs did. Could it have been Rob the guy that Cherry and I met at Dairy Queen? Did he find out that I wasn't who he thought I was and started beating down on Ponyboy or was it somone else, someone I didn't even know about. I started stroking Ponyboy's hair knowing that it made me feel better and hoping it made him feel better. I needed to talk to someone and I didn't care if he heard me or not. "Have you ever wondered a world without greasers or socs?" Suddenly something came out of Ponyboy's mouth. "Yeah." he said. It was a weak and quiet but I knew it was a lot of work for him just to say that so I kept saying more. "Where people where just people and it didn't matter where they came from or who they hung out with?" I waited for an answer but he didn't say anything. Somehow I knew he was still listening. "I sometimes think of a place like that and it's always a happier place but the more and more I think of that place the less and less it feels like it's real and it will come true. What if that world could come true, would you leave all this behind and go there?" I knew he wouldn't be able to answer that question because I couldn't answer it even with how bad my parents where but somehow he did answer it. "Only if I could bring you." Ponyboy and slowly opened his eyes and stared straight at me. I have asked myself that question so many times and never finding an answer, feeling the answer was to far away but somehow he made it seem so simple. I would go to that place if I could bring everyone I loved. Ponyboy was still staring at me so I quickly replied back before he closed his eyes, "Me too." He grinned at that and shut his eyes falling asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

There's a fire, big fire. Little children are screaming all around. "Ponyboy wait!" screams someone behind me and as I look back I see Ponyboy running towards another boy, Johnny. Ponyboy and Johnny throw a rock in and climb into the burning church. I look back and see the guy that screamed at Ponyboy come out of the car, it was Dally. I keep looking around spotting a bunch of children, a lady about middle-aged, and a man about the same age as the lady and rather fat. "Please be okay." I whisper and step forward at the same exact time as Dally. As I stepped forward I can feel the heat of fire so bad I have to step just a bit back. The kids are still screaming and crying as the lady tells the man over and over again that some of the kids are missing. "Ouch!" I hear from the burning church, it was Ponyboy. "Pony-" I began but Ponyboy continues talking, "He bit me!"Dally suddenly starts running. "Pony, Johnny get out off there are you crazy!" he screams as he reaches in the and pulls out what I think is Ponyboy but he is so burnt from the fire I can't tell. Dally throws Ponyboy to the ground and I notice his sleeve is on fire. Dally quickly pats the fire out and then looks bad to the fire. "Johnny the roof is going to fall!" Dally says and the last thing I saw and heard was Johnny screaming and the roof falling on top of him... "Ahh!" I scream jolting up in the air. "Woah, it's okay I'm just getting a little midnight snack." someone says as I look up and spy Sodapop coming from the kitchen with a piece of cake. What a midnight snack. I let out a sigh as Sodapop comes and sits next to me. "You fell I asleep out here didn't you." Sodapop says taking a bite of the cake. I must have fallen asleep talking to Ponyboy... Ponyboy! I look behind me and see Ponyboy still sleeping on the couch. "Is he going to be okay?" I asked full of concern. "Yeah, I promise." Sodapop says but his voice crack making me wonder if he really was telling the truth. He slowly put his cake down and stared at me. "I heard you mumbling about a fire, you where dreaming about Johnny and Dally weren't you." he said as I nod and say, "Tell me about them, what where they like?" I ask wanting to know every little detail about them. " I ah... okay." Sodapop says and leans his head against the couch and begins his story. "Well ah... first of all Dally, he was always the tough one you know? He was real street smart, he was real cool and played everything real smooth but for Johnny, he was much different. Ponyboy and him where best buddies always sticking up for each other. Real small, a tiny little thing but boy was he tough." Sodapop kept going on and on and I listened to every last detail. He started talking about the first time they met and all the way to making fun of Ponyboy's hair when they saw him after the fire because he bleached it. It was like I knew Johnny and Dally again, like they never did die. Die. "When Johnny, Ponyboy said he was crying like crazy. He and Dally where the only ones that actually saw him die and when he came back and told us the news well, we started crying too. There's nothing that really explains how terrible it felt losing him. It was like losing your own life. Here, I'll be right back." Sodapop says as he gets up to go to his bedroom and comes back with a tape. "Here's a video of us if you want to watch it." he said and I nodded my head. He put the tape in and sat back down next to me and pressed play. The first part was of Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry, Johnny, and Dally when they where real little. They where so cute running around laughing and playing tag and hide-and-seek. "Do you boys want some cookies?" a voice calls from behind where the camera was taping. A women comes out with a plate and hands each of them a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie. It was their mom. The boys all sat down on the step and nibbled on the cookies. The scene changed on the television from the middle of summer to winter with them all sledding in the backyard. Their parents pushing them as they came racing down and everyone looking so happy. I couldn't help but wonder what my life would be like right now if my parents where like that. Smiling and laughing with me and making funny jokes that only we understood. Everyone must have a reason their alive. Ponyboy's reason was because he had a great personality and brothers who loved him. Sodapop's reason was because he understood everyone and Darry's reason was because he had to look after his kid brothers. What was my reason? Am I just to fill up space and make the crowd look bigger? Suddenly the next scene came and it was of Johnny and Dally playing ping-pong. It looked like they filmed this almost yesterday. A burst of joy came to Dally as Johnny missed the ping-pong and having him go chase after it knowing he lost but somehow that didn't seem to stop Johnny from playing more games. Scene after scene, joy after joy. It all seemed to happy. I then heard a jingle that came from my neck, it was the locket. I remember thinking I was never going to put a single picture in there knowing no one loved me and I loved no one but that all changed. I did have someone loving me and I loved them. I was going to put a picture of Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry in it because they where the only people close to my heart that I would never want to lose. I leaned my head against Sodapop's shoulder and he leaned his head on my head. "I love you." I whispered knowing that I meant it from the bottom of my heart and wasn't lying. "I love you too." he whispered back and we watched the video until we both fell asleep cuddled up, not afraid anything would happen.


	13. Chapter 13

I slowly woke up and lifted my head from Sodapop's shoulder, he was still asleep. The television screen was still on with the white and gray tornado so I quickly turned it off. I look back and see Ponyboy and Sodapop sleeping by each other. Giving the fact that they where brothers they looked nother alike except their hair color was the same. One of them looked more like their dad and one looked more like their mom. "What time is it?" I asked myself as I got up and almost fell on Sodapop's cake to look at the clock. "Sodapop are you in the living room?" Darry asked as he came walking down the hall and spotted me. I pointed towards him sleeping on the ground. Darry sighed as he picked up Sodapop's cake and went to put it in the sink in the kitchen and I followed. I knew I had to go to school today but what happened yesterday I really didn't want to. "Darry?" I asked, that was a good beginning to get out of something wasn't it? "Yeah?" "Is it okay if I skipped school today, I mean with what happened with Ponyboy I couldn't go to school and even if I did I wouldn't be able to concentrate and-" "Sure." Darry said. Was it really that easy? "You probably didn't get much sleep last night did you?" Darry asked and I shook my head no. "How come you're letting me get off of school so easily? I thought I would have to force you." I said but force was to strong of a word for me to use. "I thought you where joking." Darry said and I gave him a strange look. What did he think I was joking about? "You really didn't realize? It's Christmas break!" Darry said with a smile. Christmas break already! Wasn't it the middle of July about last week ago? There was one other thing I was forgetting. Christmas break started two days before Christmas and if my birthday was the day before Christmas then that means it's tomorrow. I was going to turn 13! A teenager! I remember all my other birthday parties flying by. My parents would just lock me in my room or whatever age I was turning I got that many beatings. My birthday just meant getting hurt more but not this birthday, this birthday was going to be different. "Do you have work today then?" I asked. "Yep same with Sodapop so you're going to have to go with him to the DX station." he said but suddenly another thought crossed my mind. "What about Ponyboy?" I asked. "Let's just hope he wakes up and feels good this morning otherwise I don't know what I'm going to do! Can you go wake up Sodapop for me?" Darry said as I walked towards the living room where Sodapop and Ponyboy where sleeping. "Wake up Sodapop you got to bring me to the DX station." I said shaking him. "Hmm? Okay." Sodapop said getting up. His back suddenly cracked and I crinkled my nose. I always hated that noise. Sodapop looked over at Ponyboy and sighed, I guess he was wishing Ponyboy was awake and running around the house. "Are we just going to leave him here when you take me to work with you?" I asked. "Guess so. We can't bring him to the DX station and you can't stay here all alone with him." he said and went to the bedroom to get changed and ready. Please wake up Ponyboy. I slouched my shoulders and got ready right after Sodapop. After we all got ready and had breakfast (chocolate cake) we all headed out the door to the car leaving poor Ponyboy behind. Darry tried feeding him before we left but it was no use because Ponyboy just groaned and shut his mouth tight close so they couldn't force his mouth open. "I told Steve and Two-Bit to come check on him once and a while." Sodapop said knowing I wanted to stat and make sure Ponyboy got better okay. Was him telling me that suppose to make me feel better? I barely knew Steve and Two-Bit, how am I suppose to know if I could trust them knowing they would come and check on him! As we all piled in I had to burst. "How can you just leave him like that?!" Sodapop and Darry both turned back from the front seats to look at me. "There's really nothing we can do. Me and Darry both skipped a lot of work this week and both of our bosses told us we had to go in today otherwise were both fired." Sodapop said. I didn't know that and if they told me that in the first place it would have been a lot easier and I wouldn't have said what I said. I felt real guilty now. Why am I always the bad guy? We soon pulled up into the DX station and me and Sodapop both got out. "I'll pick you up at 4." Darry shouted from the car as he left. Sodapop walked to the indoors of the DX station and told his boss that he was there. Sodapop tried to hide that I was with him but his boss knew better. "What is the kid doing here? You know we don't allow any _babysitting _here." "I pormise I won't say word, you won't even know I was here. Please sir." I said giving him the little kid begging eyes. I don't know anyone where the eyes actually work on them but maybe this guy fell for them, who knows? "Ugh fine but not a word you hear me!" he said. The eyes worked. "Yes sir." I said and did the lock your lips motion. Before Sodapop's boss left he said something to Sodapop one last time. "If any trouble happens you will get fired even if you did show up this time. He growled and a shiver went down my back. Sodapop gulped as we both watched his boss stalk down the hall.


	14. Chapter 14

Half of the day went pretty well, I kept out of Sodapop's way and he kept right to his work pumping gas for people. It all started when Sodapop and I where eating lunch during Sodapop's lunch break. I sure wish it didn't happen. A bunch of kids about Sodapop's age came by us snarling, they where socs. There was one soc that wasn't Sodapop's age but my age and I regonized him right away. It was the kid that hit me during school yesterday. It was hard to think that it was only yesterday. I slowly pulled my hand up to my eye and poked it a bit but pulled it back quickly and winced. Sure wasn't getting any better. The boy who gave me the black grinned at me, he remembered me too. "Hey Dave why don't you and that kid play some dolls or something." One of Sodapop's age soc said to the kid that hit me. So his name was Dave. "Hey!" Dave said and tried to throw a punch but missed as the soc pulled him in under his arm. "You guys go leave, we don't want anymore trouble after what you did to Ponyboy last night, Rob!" Sodapop said as he stood up. So these where the guys who hurt Ponyboy? I was to far away to notice any faces when Ponyboy got hurt so it must be. Rob, it was a familiar name. I stared at the guy who Sodapop called Rob and realized that this was the person who Cherry and I met at Dairy Queen and by the look on his face I knew he regonized me too. I started to shake a bit in my chair as I stood up too. "Oh, I see you have a little girl to protect you? How sweet!" Rob exclaimed. "Hey you stop it right now would ya?" Sodapop yelled at them. "Who's gonna make us? That 12 year-old?"Rob yelled as he started the fight on Sodapop. "Susie go inside! Right now!" Sodapop said as I tried to run to the door but got pulled back. I turned around and it was Dave. "I don't think I ended that other fight at school good enough." he said. I tried to get away but he was much stronger than me. Dave was hitting me harder than he was at school and it brought me back to another time, when my parents where still alive. He was hitting me so hard it felt like my parents hitting me. When my parents finally stopped my face didn't even look like a face so if Dave kept hitting me like this I knew the same thing was going to happen. Suddenly a ball full of anger came to me. "Stop!" I screamed and kicked Dave as he went falling across the DX station. I was shocked wandering where in the world I learned to do that but I guess my parents beat me so bad I found out how they did it. "Holy-" Rob said but couldn't end it because Sodapop's boss came running out screaming. Rob and everyone else stumbled over each other trying not to get caught by Sodapop's boss but his boss wasn't going for them but for Sodapop. Trouble.


	15. Chapter 15

Sodapop got fired today from working at the DX station. It happened so fast I hardly had time to react but his boss said he didn't want any trouble but we gave him trouble all right. "I told you I didn't want any more trouble with you. I really don't want to do this but it's putting my job on the line. Your a good kid but your fired." Sodapop's boss had said and walked away. Sodapop had called Darry for him to come pick us up right away. Now where all in the car not making a peep. Darry wasn't mad at Sodapop which I thought he would. It was all my fault and I knew it. "I'm real sorry Sodapop I didn't mean it." I said in a whimpery voice. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do nothing, it was those dumb socs." Sodapop said. It was my fault! Why didn't Sodapop understand! "It is my fault Sodapop, if I didn't come to the DX station with you that probably never would have happened!" I exclaimed starting to whine and cry a bit. Sodapop turned around from the passenger seat in front and I noticed that the socs hurt him pretty badly. "Susie please don't cry, it's not your fault at all and nobodies blaming you for anything." Sodapop sighed as he turned back facing forward as Darry pulled into the driveway. We all suddenly remembered Ponyboy at the same time and started running to the front door. Maybe Ponyboy is there wrestling Steve and Two-Bit and laughing and having a good time like last night didn't happen. But what if he's not. We where so excited we pulled the push door until we finally remembered it was a push door and let ourselves in. Steve and Two-Bit where there leaning towards the couch trying to make someone drink from a cup, Ponyboy. "Ponyboy?" I asked as I walked closer to see Ponyboy's face better. He looked even worse than this morning, he almost even looked dead. Of course I knew he wasn't dead but I saw what my parents looked like dead and I wasn't to far off. Steve and Two-Bit where still trying to make him drink from a cup but he was so dead to the world it would take hours for him to open his mouth once. "No." I muttered and Sodapop and Darry took a step forward to stand right beside me. Steve and Two-Bit both stopped trying to give Ponyboy the stuff in the cup and turned to Darry. "Where real sorry Darry but we don't know what to do, he hasn't eaten anything all day." Two-Bit said and started standing up. "I really gotta go, I'll see ya later." he said and made sure not to slam the door. Ponyboy was mumbling again nonstop but we all ignored it. "Maybe we should put him in the bed, I mean the couch isn't that comfortable and is sort of hard." I said knowing from the first night that I hated sleeping on it. "You're probably right." Darry said and we all stepped closer so we could lift him up. This time I got to help too and nobody said anything. Why can't he just get better? We all laid him in him and Sodapop's bed carefully as he sank in the mattress and stopped mumbling. We all helped put a blanket over him because he was also shaking a bit too. "I really hate leaving but I'm Two-Bit's ride." Steve said and ran off out of the house. All three of use sat around Ponyboy just staring thinking that maybe if we stayed for a while he would wake up but we all knew that wasn't going to happen. "He's not getting better is he." I said. I knew the answer but I guess I was hoping that one of them would say he was getting better. Sodapop shook his head. We sat there some more and heard Ponyboy's stomach growl. "I don't care what Steve and Two-Bit said, this kid is going to eat something." Darry whimpered as he left and came back with some food. He took some of it onto the spoon and held it out to Ponyboy. "Ponyboy please open your mouth otherwise your gonna starve." Darry said but Ponyboy didn't do anything. "Ponyboy please!" Darry said again and he was getting angry. "Ponyboy!" he shouted one last time before he slammed the spoon and plate down and headed out the room. "Sure is tough on him, never saw him act like that since mom and dad died." Sodapop said. "He is going to get better right?" I said sadly. "To tell you the truth I don't know, I honestly don't know." Sodapop said. I picked up the plate and held out the spoon to Ponyboy. It probably wouldn't work if Darry tried already but I wasn't going to leave without trying. "Susie it's not going to work. He won't open his mouth." Sodapop said but I ignored him. "Ponyboy? Will you please open your mouth and eat just at least a bite? For me?" Suddenly a miracled happened, well not a miracle but close. Ponyboy mumbled something like he did when he was on the couch and then he opened his eyes a bit. Sodapop and I where both holding our breath. He suddenly took the food from the spoon and swallowed before falling back asleep. "Darry come in here!" Sodapop said and Darry came running. "What, what's wrong?" Darry said. "Susie just got Ponyboy to eat some food!" Sodapop said as Darry looked at me shocked. It may sound dumb to you because all I did was make Ponyboy eat but it was magic to us. "How?" Darry said sitting on the bed staring at Ponyboy. "The same way you did." I said and grinned. "Do it again." Darry said. I didn't know if it would work or not but I tried again. "Ponyboy? Can you eat another bite?" I asked and sure enough he opened his eyes, ate the food, swallowed, and fell back asleep. "Let me try." Darry said and took the spoon. He tried and tried but Ponyboy wouldn't do anything. "Look's like your the miracle worker." Darry said and handed me back the spoon. It took me about an hour because at some moments Ponyboy wouldn't open his mouth but I feed him eveything. He looked a little less pale but other than that he wasn't doing so good and we all knew it. "Maybe we should bring him to the hospital or something?" I asked Sodapop and Darry as we all sat on the bed watching Ponyboy not leaving for anything. "Darry won't bring him to the hospital. He said he wouldn't since Johnny and Dally died. Unless he gets even worse he's gonna stay with us." Sodapop said. I sighed and looked out the window. It was pitch black and I knew it was after 10:00pm. "It's been a long day." Darry began saying but stopped in the middle because of a yawn. "You two better go to bed." He said and wondered off down the hall. "He's right." Sodapop said. "I know but can't we read him a book or something?" I asked and spotted a book on the desk. It was called Gone with the Wind. "How about this?" I asked showing Sodapop the book. I didn't wait for an answer afraid he would say no. I laid down in between Ponyboy and Sodapop now laying down and started reading. I sort of enjoyed it, probably one of my favorite books. I just hoped Ponyboy was listening so he could enjoy it at the same time as me. I started to notice that Sodapop kept yawning so I finally spoke up. "You know Sodapop, if your tired you can go to sleep. I could maybe read the book to both of you." I said as Sodapop nodded and leaned back. I started reading the book again where I left off and soon found Sodapop asleep but I kept reading for the sake of Ponyboy. Soon after that the letters started getting blurry and I knew I was falling asleep. "No." I muttered to myself. "For Ponyboy." I said and forced my eyes opened and the letters stopped getting blurry. I read another page and the blurs came back. "No." I said but it kept getting blurry and more blurry until it was black and I was asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

I woke up leaning on Ponyboy's shoulder and Sodapop was leaning against mine. I moved Sodapop gently so he was leaning against my arm and put my head up so I could see Ponyboy. He looked much worse and that scared me. He was turning green. "Happy Birthday to me." I whispered and leaned me head back on Ponyboy's shoulder. I honestly didn't feel any older, just said and depressed because of Ponyboy. I could see the Gone with the Wind book and I picked it up and looked at it. "Did you like Gone with the Wind last night?" I asked to no one but Ponyboy answered. "Johnny." he whimpered. Did the book have anything to do with Johnny? Did maybe Johnny read it for school? I slowly got up. I made sure I didn't wake up Sodapop by holding his head as I slipped through and letting it down slowly leaning it on Ponyboy. I noticed I was shaking then even with Sodapop and Ponyboy curled up beside me so I put another blanket over them. I came by Ponyboy and sat on the edge of the bed. I started stroking Ponyboy's hair but stopped because he was all sweaty. He probably needs some sort of cold wash cloth to put on his forehead I thought to myself and headed down the hall. "Surprise!" Someone shouted from the living room. I looked out and there where Two-Bit, Steve and Darry. There was a big banner that said Happy Birthday Susie and they where all wearing party hats. Music was playing in the remembered! "Of course Sodapop forgets to wake up early. He's sleeping still right Susie?" Steve said as I nod. "Come on! Stop acting all scared!" Two-Bit said and grabbed my arm. "Hey I know this is probably a stupid looking birthday party compared to what your parents probably throw but I think we did a pretty good job on decorations!" Darry said pointing at the banner. It actually looked amazing compared to what my parents did. I remember when I was about nine when they locked me in a closet and had a party for themselves. I remember I cried and cried but nobody seemed to hear me. I shook that thought out of the way quickly. I started to remember Ponyboy's green face and my smile faded. "Hey what's wrong? Don't you like it?" Darry asked. "No Darry it's not that at all it's wonderful what you did it's just-" "It's just what?" Darry said over the sound of the music. "Hey Steve can you turn that down a bit?" Steve turned the volume down all the way. "It's Ponyboy." I said. All three of them came running to the bedroom as I followed close behind. We all jumped on the bed. "Hey what's going on? Oh the birthday party! I'm sorry I just-" Sodapop began but got cut off by Darry. "It's okay it's not that it's Ponyboy." Sodapop looked over to Ponyboy and winced. "Two-Bit can you go get the thermometer in the bathroom?" Darry said as Two-Bit left and came back with it and handed it to Darry. Darry pried Ponyboy's mouth open and stuck the thermometer under Ponyboy's tongue. It took a while but finally it beeped and Darry told us what his temperature. "It's 104 degrees." he said and sighed. "That's pretty high." We where all quiet until Darry said something again. "If it's still this high tomorrow then we sort of have to bring him to the hospital." "Here this might help." I said and left to get the cold washcloth and came back. I placed it softly on Ponyboy's forehead and patted it down a bit. Ponyboy muttered something but stopped after a fail of about two words. I stepped back and Darry rubbed my head. "Where gonna be okay, I promise." he said and we all stared. After a couple of hours after Steve left, reading from Gone with the Wind, and more temperature taking we where all tired and wouldn't move. I wasn't going to leave Ponyboy's side for anything. Darry had fell asleep next to Ponyboy and Sodapop was fading fast. "You know you really shouldn't stay here and be all sad. Why don't you go somewhere with Two-Bit?" Sodapop whispered. "What about Ponyboy?" I asked remembering that I said I wasn't going to leave his side. "Darry and I will take care of him if anyhting happens plus you need to go get some fresh air getting trapped in this place all day. I looked up at Two-Bit and he didn't care what happened. Not wanting to say no I agreed and Two-Bit and I headed outside for a little walk. Once we where out on the walk for a bit Two-Bit started talking. "You really care about Ponyboy don't you." he asked looking at me. "Well yeah they're the only family I have now since my parents practically left me." I said hoping he didn't hear the squeak in my voice when I lied about my parents, I was always a bad liar. "So where did your parents go?" he asked. Hell probably I wanted to say but couldn't. "Ah... I don't really know." I lied. I hoped so bad that he would stop asking these questions that I had to lie to. I changed the subject so I didn't have to lie. "So are you like the leader of the pack? You are the oldest right?" I asked. "Not really, it was more of Dally but since last year we don't really have one." I nodded my head pretending I was interested. The rest of the walk was pretty much just chit chatting. I thought I wouldn't like Two-Bit at all but he was really a great guy and real funny too! At one point we passed a couple of cops and I hid my head a bit wondering if they knew about my parents and trying to find me but that all passed just as easily as it came. When we got back to the house and came into the bedroom Darry and Sodapop where both lying next to Ponyboy. "Should we check his temperature again?" I asked as Two-Bit nodded. I opened his mouth and put the thermometer in until it beeped. "103 degrees." I said smiling. "It's going down." After that I got Ponyboy to open his mouth for food and he even opened his mouth for Two-Bit once and when Sodapop and Darry woke up he opened his mouth numerous times for them. I read a bit from Gone with the Wind and soon it was getting late and Two-Bit left. "I know this is not the birthday you wanted." Darry said. "It's okay." I said hoping he wasn't to bummed about it. "It's not over yet though we still have a present for you." Sodapop said as he left and came back with a gift and put it in my arms. It was poorly wrapped but I didn't care. I started to open it but stopped. "You know what? You're my present this year." I said and hugged them all, even Ponyboy! We all fell asleep next to each other, smiling being one big happy family.


	17. Chapter 17

I woke up from the bright sunlight shining from the window. I pushed myself up a bit and looked around. Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy where still fast asleep. They looked comfortable and happy. I never had a family like this and now I do. I felt so lucky for someone to love me and for me to love them. I leaned back down on the comfy bed as Sodapop snuggled closer to me, I didn't stop him. I suddenly remembered it was Christmas. It was a time of giving and sharing. Honestly I think all four of us achieved that before Christmas. I remember when I was a little girl when my parents where still nice to me I would wake up and find presents under the tree and finding an empty plate where Santa ate his cookies before he left our house. I remember the smells of baking fresh desserts in the oven and all over was red and green. I remember looking outside and seeing bright Christmas decorations and sometimes through the windows see the neighbors opening presents in their pj's. I remember drinking only hot chocolate even when it wasn't cold out. What I remember most though was seeing my parents loving me and going to see other family like the Curtis's loving each other. Of course that was before their parents died because after that they just celebrated Christmas alone. One Christmas all that stopped. I didn't wake up to the tree, the fresh baked desserts or anything. It just one day stopped. I opened my eyes back to the real world. Everyone was still asleep and Ponyboy was mumbling again. "It stop but what I remember most was how much they loved me." I whispered to myself. I don't care if I don't get presents and all that other stuff and even if I did I wouldn't open them. I looked down at the ground to the unopened birthday present. Because I already got my present, the Curtis's. My mind flipped back to Ponyboy and his mumbling. "Are you hungry?" I asked but he didn't answer. I went to the kitchen and fixed some breakfast for Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy. I came back and set Sodapop and Darry's plate on the dresser and started giving food to Ponyboy. He stopped mumbling right away. How long has he been sick now? Two days, a week? I didn't know but it felt like a year. After I feed Ponyboy I checked his temperature. 102 degrees. At least he was getting better. I felt like a nurse taking care of him and I couldn't help but smile while I kept feeding him his food. "Hey Susie." Darry said sitting up and stretching his back. "Do you know what the time is?" he asked. "No I didn't check. Probably around 10:00am I would guess" I said but suddenly something popped in my head. "Hey didn't you have work yesterday?" I asked hoping he would say no. "No but I have it tomorrow." he said and relief came over me. It would terrible if Sodapop and Darry lost their jobs in the same week. "How's Ponyboy doing?" he asked. "Well his temperature went down a nit but other than that I don't really know." I said feeling like a nurse telling a doctor. "I made you some breakfast." I said handing him the plate. "Oh you didn't have to do that." he said but ate it anyways. "Hey is there something wrong with Sodapop?" Darry asked looking down at him asleep with concern. "No I don't think so, why?" "He looks a little sick." he said and took the thermometer out if my hand. Good thing I washed it first. "Sodapop?" Darry asked him. "Huh?" Sodapop said quietly and softly. Darry stuck the thermometer in his mouth, waited till it beeped, and told me the temperature. "102 degrees." "Same as Ponyboy's." I said. "He probably got sick clinging on to Ponyboy so much and between you and me you're probably next." Darry said. "What are we gonna do Darry?" I asked sighly. It's one thing having one person out of four sick but it's another having two out of four sick, half and half. "We gotta take care of them and hopefully they'll get better." he said and that's exactly what we did. I swear I never worked this hard in my life. Ponyboy and Sodapop's temperature went down to 100 degrees and they where getting better real fast. At one point Darry asked a question where I had to lie. "Sodapop said when you went to the DX station with him you kicked a kid so hard he flew across the parking lot. Where did you learn to kick someone like that?" Darry asked. He wasn't mad though he was almost... happy? "I ah... watch a lot of television." I lied and Darry laughed. "No really where did you learn that? No one can learn that from television." he said and I put my head down in shame. I didn't know what to say to make it sound true. "Oh hey you don't need to tell me if you don't want to." Darry said and pushed my chin up so I was looking up at him. "It's okay." he said and let it go. After that Sodapop and Ponyboy's temperature went down a lot and we knew they where getting better because both of them talked to us without mumbling. Then something wonderful happened. "You guys look outside!" I exclaimed. Darry came running over. "It's snowing!" I said and felt so happy. I never seen snow before and this was wonderful, a Christmas wonderland. I looked behind and Sodapop and Ponyboy had their eyes opened staring out the window with smiles on their faces. "Come on." Darry said and started heading to the front door. I stepped outside and the first thing I did was stick my tongue out and caught a snowflake right in the middle of it. It wasn't enough snow to make snowballs but I picked up a handful of snow on the ground and threw it at Darry. "Hey." he said and did the same to me. Pretty soon there was snow flying all over and we couldn't stop giggling and laughing as we got pelted by it. Again, there wasn't enough snow but we even tried making a snowman which fell to the ground right away. We tried making snow angels and those didn't work out either. The more we failed the more it was funny and the more we couldn't stop laughing until finally we had to go back inside. We spend so much time playing outside we couldn't make it to the bedroom and fell asleep on the hard couch which wasn't a bad idea from what happened to Sodapop. "Merry Christmas." I whispered to Darry before we fell asleep. "Merry Christmas to you too." Darry answered back and we all fell asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

I woke up at around noon and looked around. I turned my head to where Darry was but he wasn't there anymore. He probably went to work I thought. I got up and went to the bedroom where Sodapop and Ponyboy where and winced at how my back hurt from lying on the couch. Sodapop and Ponyboy where there talking acting like they weren't sick at all, like yesterday was just a dream and didn't happen. "Did you guys just get better over night?" I asked shocked. "No Darry checked our temperature and where still sick but we feel much better." Sodapop said without mumbling at all. I grinned and climbed in next to them on the bed. "Ponyboy? When I read you the Gone with the Wind book you kept muttering Johnny. Why?" I asked looking at Ponyboy. "When me and Johnny where at the church we read that book to help kill time." he said without even hesitating like he did when he talked about Johnny and Dally. "Hey Ponyboy I- oh hey Susie!" Darry said coming into the bedroom. "Darry!" I shouted suddenly remembering he said he had to work today. "Darry you got to go to work!" I said and Darry's face changed from happy to frightened. He slumped onto the edge of the bed. "Oh no I totally forgot! I probably lost my job!" he said. "I better go down there, I'll be back!" he said and headed out the door. All three of us exchanged glances wondering what was going to happen. Darry came back in about 15 minutes looking very disappointed. He didn't have to tell us, we knew he lost his job. We all tried to bring Darry to positive ideas but known of it worked. Days passed as Sodapop and Ponyboy got better and me and Ponyboy went back to school. Katherine knew I was sad but she never asked what it was and Dave kept giving me a hard time. Darry kept saying that everything was going to be fine and get back to normal but that wasn't happening. Darry kept searching for jobs but no one would take him and Darry kept talking about money problems. None of us had any money and we where slowly going down the drain. One day I came home from school with Ponyboy because he didn't have track that day and Sodapop and Darry where there watching television. Ponyboy and I sat down next to them and watched what they where watching, not making a sound. We all knew that pretty soon we would have to sell stuff to get money and the T.V might be one of those things. Suddenly my whole world turned upside down as I watched the T.V. The news reporter started talking, "Today's news is of two parents by the names of Lori and Patrick Johnson." I knew right away that this had something to do with me because those where my parents names. The mews reporter kept going. "On the edge of Tulsa, Oklahoma police have found Lori and Patrick Johnson dead on their front lawn. Police officers have studied their bodies and are positive someone had shot them. Police looked through their house for any evidence of a hater but found something more shocking. Lori and Patrick had secretly gave birth to a child. We went to the hospitals and there was no evidence saying that Mr and Mrs. Johnson ever had a kid and it was proven they where hiding it." Suddenly a man came on the screen and it was one of my neighbors. "I was surprised when the police said there was a child living there that I didn't know but the Johnson's where always very quiet and independent." Suddenly the news reporter came back on. "The child would be about twelve years-old and police think that she had died or someone kidnapped her. We went through a computer monitor and found out what the child would look like." Suddenly a picture showed up and it looked a lot like me. Brownish blondish hair with blue eyes. The only thing that didn't look like me was the mouth. Darry shut off the T.V. "You don't look dead and we sure didn't kidnap you." he said, anger rising. I gulped knowing that I was going to get in so much trouble. "What do you know that you aren't telling us!" Darry said starting to shout. "Darry don't yell at her she's just a kid and look at her, she looks scared to death." Ponyboy said calmly. Thank you Ponyboy. "I ain't gonna look at her until she tells us what she knows!" Darry yelled and I knew I couldn't get by this one with a lie. "Please Susie." Sodapop pleaded trying not to get mad. Suddenly it all came out. How bad they treated me, how the letter was just a fake, how I saw them crash to the ground after they got shot, everything. "Do you remember when I first got here and I was all torn up? I didn't fall." I said, tears coming out of my eyes. "They hurt you that badly?" Ponyboy asked. I nodded my head. "Why didn't you tell us in the first place?" Sodapop asked looking frightened. "I guess I was scared. I didn't want to go to some adoption place or something. Please don't be mad. If you let me stay I swear I won't lie ever again and I'll be the best kid you could imagine!" I whimpered. Suddenly the front door came flying open and the police came flooding in. We all four stood up fast. "It's the kid of the Johnson case." one police said to the other. The police came near us and told Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy to turn around as they put handcuffs on them. "No!" I screamed and tried to get away but the police grabbed me by the arms. I tried to kick and punch but they had me tightly. "Darry, Soda, Pony! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" I screamed but the police covered my mouth and all that came out was something that no one could understand. Suddenly a burst of anger rose and it was the same feeling I had when Dave was hurting me at the DX station but it was much stronger. I got my arms lose from the policeman's grip and kicked and fought my way through. I ran out the door and into the street but suddenly I saw a bright light and a blue mercedes that looked an awful like Randy's and Cherry's. I stopped in the middle of the street not being able to move and hoping the car would move out of the way but it didn't. The car hit me and I flew into the air and landed on the hard cement. The last thing I say was red hair and Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy scream before it all went black.


	19. Chapter 19

I woke up dizzy in the backseat of Darry's truck. I tried opening my eyes but they could only open just a crack. "Hey I think she's coming through!" Ponyboy said excitedly. "Ponyboy." I mumbled but he couldn't understand me. My head was throbbing with so much pain and my arm was throbbing too. I didn't know why Ponyboy was here because I thought the police handcuffed him but I decided to make the most of it. A sudden burst of pain and I let out a little scream. "Ho what's happening back there?" Sodapop asked. "I don't know." Ponyboy answered back. "Susie it's gonna be alright where bringing you to the hospital just stay awake." Darry said. I remembered that Darry wouldn't bring Ponyboy to the hospital even when he had such a high fever and that scared me. I wondered why the police weren't with them and having them in handcuffs but I didn't have enough energy to ask. It was a bumpy road and that made the pain even worse. "Please be okay." Cherry said. Why was Cherry here? I remember red hair before the darkness and wondered if that was Cherry. My head was leaned against the glass window and it vibrated badly. Suddenly we hit a bump. "Woah!" Darry said. I yelped at the pain from the bump and fell back asleep. The next thing I knew I was in a hospital bed with my arm and head all bandaged up. I didn't open my eyes. "This was the room where Johnny was." Ponyboy said. I didn't think he knew I was awake. "I'm real sorry for hitting her, I honestly didn't mean to." Cherry said. So Cherry was the one who hit me? That I guess explains the red hair. The car hitting me came back to life right in front of my eyes and I shouted at the sight. "No." I whimpered and opened my eyes and found Ponyboy and Cherry both staring at me. Ponyboy had tears in his eyes. "How are you feeling?" he said but his voice cracked. "My arm hurts and I can't feel my head." I said taking my time to pronounce each word. "Yeah you landed on your arm and head pretty hard when you landed on the street." Ponyboy said. "Mmm..." I said starting to mumble again. "How are we gonna pay for this?" I asked remembering the money problems. Ponyboy got up and started stroking my hair. "Shh. You don't need to worry about that, Darry's got that all figured out." he said but I knew he was lying. "You where in handcuffs, what happened? Did they let you go?" I asked hoping so badly that they did. "Well we told them what you told us and they let us free until court where they decide if we're guilty or not." I looked over at Cherry and she was crying too. "What about-" "Shh." Ponyboy said soothingly still stroking my hair. "We're not gonna leave you so just stop worrying. Just get some rest I'm not going anywhere." Ponyboy said and at that I feel asleep again. I don't know what happened but at some point I swear I saw Johnny here walking around the room. He came close to me and whispered in my ear. "They really care about you." He started walking around the room again until he faded away. I woke up and saw Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy sitting around next to me. "How long have I been here?" I asked having no idea. "A couple of days. We haven't gone back home or slept that whole time." Darry said. I looked at Ponyboy as he yawned but forced his eyes opened. I could see how tired they all where and I remembered what Johnny said. "You can go home, I'll be fine." I said softly wondering if they even heard me. "No we're gonna stay." Ponyboy said. "Well at least get some sleep you guys look pooped." I said trying to make them feel better. "Stop worrying about us just get better." Darry said and I feel asleep. I woke up again and found Sodapop, and Ponyboy leaning against each other and fast asleep on the couch and Darry's eyes where closing fastly. I grinned and said, "Good night." and fell back asleep. I wasn't awake but I wasn't asleep but I could hear Ponyboy saying something. What was he saying? It sounded like a story, it was Gone with the Wind. I listened to the story until he said the end and closed the book. I opened my eyes. "Thank you." I whispered. Ponyboy grinned. "You read it to me and we never finished so now we have." he said. I was feeling much better and knew that was a sign that I would leave soon. "When can I go back home?" I asked. "What home do you mean?" he asked wondering what I meant by home. "The only home I have, with you." I said and he grinned. "The doctor said tomorrow afternoon if you're feeling up to it otherwise you'll stay an extra day." he said and I went home tomorrow. We all piled into Darry's truck and took off. "How come you stayed with me in the hospital if you knew I lied to you?" I asked. "Why didn't we?" Sodapop said and I smiled knowing they forgave me. "Where are we going?" Sodapop asked. "Just taking the long route." he said and grinned. Sodapop was in the back with me and Ponyboy in cause something happened with me again and I really appreciated that. I looked out the window at a hill and Ponyboy said, "That's where Dally got shot." the way he said it didn't sound offensive or something that he never talked about, it was just him talking. We kept going passed other places that had stuff to do with Johnny and Dally like the drive-in movie theater and where they had the rumble. It could almost see Ponyboy and the rest of the gang there fighting the socs. It brought me back to the past.


	20. Chapter 20

When we got back to the house we promised ourselves that we weren't going to turn on the T.V being afraid that there was going to be more news on me and my parents so we just sat on the couch oddly. "When's the court thing?" I asked of course bringing up the bad stuff first. "Tomorrow morning." Darry said sadly. I wanted to get all the bad stuff out of the way so I found another question to ask. "How are we gonna pay the hospital bills and stuff?" I asked and we all had disappointed faces except for Darry who's face changed from sad to happy. "I didn't know when to tell you this but someone called from a job I asked for. They said yes and it pays much more than my other job, we're gonna be rich!" Darry said getting up as we all cheered and hugged each other. We barely heard the door bell ring from all the excitement but Sodapop left to open it. "Hi I'm Katherine, does Susie live here?" said the girl behind the door as she walked in. Katherine? How did she find out where I lived? I guess they could see the shocked expression on my face because they all made up reasons to leave. I think Sodapop's was the dumbest, why would he have to check if there was a pirate in the house? "How are you feeling?" Katherine asked as we both sat down. "Good." I said. "Doesn't it hurt? You got hit by a car!" she asked trying to reach up to feel the bandage on my head but I dodged away so I wouldn't act stupid when I winced because when even I touch it it hurts like crazy. "Yeah yeah it does. I just got used to it that's all." I lied because I knew she came here for more than to see how I was doing. "Look I came here to tell you something." she said. No duh! "I ah... I went to see you in the hospital when you and your brothers where asleep and I..." she said and sort of stopped. She probably thought that Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy where my brothers and I wouldn't blame here. "Well you where mumbling something about greasers." Busted! I then remembered how Ponyboy said not to tell anyone I was a greaser. What if Katherine was a greaser too! But what if she wasn't. "Look I came to say sorry. I know you're a greaser and I'm telling ya I'm a soc. Kick me out if you want." she said and looked upset like it was curse being a soc. To me being a soc is just living somewhere that greasers don't. "I'm not gonna kick you out. I don't care if you're a greaser or not because you're nice and funny and my friend!" "Really?" she asked shocked. I nodded my head. "Well I need to tell you something then. I'm real sorry what my brother Dave did to you at school and I'm real sorry about at the DX station but it was sure funny when he came home all beaten up and had to say a girl did it!"Katherine said and my mouth flew open. "Dave's your brother!" I said surprised. "Yeah same with Rob. Didn't you know that?" she said. I really didn't know that at all. "Well I ah... gotta get home for supper, I hope your head and arm gets better!" she said and left. I stood there wondering what the heck just happened. Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy came in laughing and sat down next to me. "Woah! That was a different conversation then I thought it would turn out to be!" Sodapop said smiling and the look on his face I couldn't help but start laughing too. "That sure was sort of funny when you kicked that little kids rump!" Sodapop said. "You really didn't learn to do that from television did you, you learned it from your parents?" Darry asked as I nodded. "You guys should have say it! She was like the karate kid!" Sodapop said. The rest of the day we laughed and laughed and laughed and I remembered how Katherine thought they where my brothers. Deep down I think we all knew we where siblings.


	21. Chapter 21

"Everybody please rise." said a man who I had no idea what his job was. We where in court. We all woke up real early so we wouldn't be late and Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy where all in their best suits while Cherry let me borrow one of her dresses because I didn't have any. It was a soc dress that was white with pink flowers on it and I couldn't help but admire it in the mirror for a half an hour. None of us ate because we where to scared what would happen even though we where starving. The car ride here was so quiet I could hear grasshoppers chirping outside through the window. When we had got here the boys tightened up their ties and I patted my dress so the wrinkles from the car ride didn't show. I knew Darry and Sodapop where here for Ponyboy after Johnny and Dally died and I hoped that didn't matter for this being they have been in court twice. I came back to the real world as the judge walked in and we sat down. I looked behind me and saw Cherry and Randy. Darry nudged me and shook his head indicating that I shouldn't look back in case it was considered rude. I wiggled in my chair just wishing that this would end soon and I could just go back to living with the Curtis's. The judge finally spoke. "May Miss. Susanne Johnson please come to the stand?" I gulped as I stood up slowly. I didn't really know what the "stand" was but luckly the judge was staring at a chair next to her knowing that that was what she was talking about. I walked towards the chair, tucked the bottom of my dress in, and took a seat. A man came and held a bible out to me. I didn't know if I was suppose to take it or what but the man finally said something before I had too. "Place your hand on the bible." I did as he told. "Do swear that you will tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help me God?" "I do." I answered back and the man walked away. "Now." the judge said and I turned to face her. "How old are you?" she asked and I answered by saying I just turned thirteen. "Did you see your parents get shot?" she asked and I nodded remembering the moment. "Would you mind telling us the story of how you met these young boys and about your parents?" she said. She stared at me as I stared back. I sighed and started trying not to forget anything. "My parents, they where evil in my mind. They locked me in a cabinet once and punched me so hard I would pass out. They would scream in my face saying I was the devil and kick me. They would use anything as a weapon against me." I stopped to catch my breath from the tears forming. "What are you saying? Child abuse?" the judge asked shocked. Didn't she already know this? Ponyboy said that they told the police about my parents the night I got hit, didn't the police tell the judge? I guess not. "Yes. The night that they got shot they where hitting me real hard. I tried to get away but couldn't. I heard two gun shots and before I knew it they where lying on the ground, dead." "Did you see you shot them?" the judge asked. I really wished she would stop interrupting. "No and I honestly don't care." I said a bit harshly but continued. "I packed a bunch of stuff that I needed and took off in the middle of the night. I didn't know anybody but the Curtis's so I went there." I said and the whole time I told that story I felt like I was saying it to the air but this time I faced the judge and looked her directly in the eyes. "I lied to them, I lied to everybody and I'm sorry I was just scared. They thought my parents dropped me off and left. If you're gonna take me away from them after all they did was take care of me and made sure I had food well you're just plain old evil just like my parents. My parents never loved me, nobody did until I met the Curtis's and now you're just gonna take me away from them just because you want to?" "Well Sus-" The judge tried to say but I cut her off, I was getting angry. "You may have the right to put me in an adoption center or something like that but that just means I have the right to escape and come back to them!" I yelled pointing to Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy. "I swear to you and everyone that they didn't do anything, if anything I did! You may be punishing me if you put me in an adoption center but I bet you would be punishing the good ones then too." I said still pointing. "They care about me and I care about them. Please don't make it worse for both." I whimpered and let my arm drop. I look out towards everyone and they where all silent. Suddenly out of no where they all started clapping and shouting "Yipee! Woah!" The judge banged the hammer on her desk. "Silence silence!" the judge said. This was the moment that she would make her decision. We where all waiting for the word, "innocent!" Would it come out of the judges mouth or would she yell guilty? Everyone fell silent waiting for the answer, it was just like the car ride here. "Now you boys have been in court before which doesn't make a good record for you but..." the judge slammed the hammer on the desk. "Innocent! Darryl Curtis is the now the new guardian!" "Yeah!" I screamed getting off the chair running to the Curtis's as Darry picked me up and swung me around. He had tears in his eyes. He set me down and all four of us hugged each other, we couldn't hold the excitement in. "I looked up at them and noticed that Sodapop and Ponyboy had tears in their eyes too. "I love you." I whispered and hugged them as tightly as possible. I had a home and a family that cares now, that was all I needed. I knew that I no longer was an only child because now I had three brother and I knew that I was no longer Susanne Marie Johnson, but Susanne Marie Curtis.


	22. Chapter 22

**BOOK 2 OR PART 2**

It has been months since the day in court where Darry became my new guardian. We where now all like siblings and no one was going to hurt us except a few mistakes with the socs but I think we all fought them away. I had become great friends with Katherine and finally put a picture in my locket of the Curtis's. All was going well except for one thing and we all knew what that was, we had to set up a funeral for my parents. It was up to us and nobody else. We all knew we had to invite family and since we haven't seen them for years and where not close it was going to be hard but today we where going to invite people, today was the day. It was a different type of funeral because we didn't have any phone numbers of family so we had to send invitations through the mail. "So who do you think should come?" Darry asked. We all four where sitting around the kitchen table with a pencil and a piece of paper to write the names of the people invited. None of us wanted to do this but we knew that we had too giving it has been months since my parents died instead of a couple weeks when people normally have funerals. "I guess family." I said. It may sound dumb like I didn't know we where going to invite family but you have to step into our shoes. We haven't seen the family for years, YEARS! To us we are inviting people we don't know. "I guess we could invite uncle Al and aunt Carol and their kids Thomas and Anna." Sodapop said as Darry wrote their names down. Now I was surprised that Sodapop even remembered their names because I didn't. I have only met them once when I was real little and I only remember a few things about them. They where twins that where bratty and mean and I hated them with all my guts and I also remember that they where the socs kind. "How about grandma and grandpa?" Ponyboy asked as Darry wrote their names on the paper and nodded his head. "What about your dads side? Did he have any family?" Ponyboy asked. "Huh? Oh ahh... he was the only child but I think my grandma and grandpa are still alive..." I drifted off remembering them. They where the old sweet kind and used to give me as much candy as I could hold. They would play board games when I was bored and take me to the park. "Oh Susie didn't both your grandparents not get along together?" Darry asked uncertainly. I suddenly remembered that time where my two grandparents where fighting. I was to little to remember much but I remember them screaming and yelling about something, what was it? "It would be rude not to invite them though." Sodapop said quietly. Darry sighed and wrote the names down on the piece of paper. It took a while remembering the whole family but we finally did it. We all leaned back in out chairs. Ding dong the doorbell rang as Ponyboy went to go get it. "Oh hey Cherry." Ponyboy said when he opened the door. Sodapop, Darry, and I all grinned knowing that Ponyboy was probably blushing. The three of us walked out into the living room where Ponyboy and Cherry where sitting. "Oh hey Cherry didn't hear you come it." Sodapop laughed and cocked a smile. I snorted as Ponyboy gave him the evil eye. "Hey I wanted to ask you all something. Now don't say no right away and just give it some time to think it over okay?" Cherry said as we all nodded our heads wondering what it was she was going to say. "My parents invited all four of you to our cabin tomorrow for the weekend." "No." Darry said strong and seriously. "Come on I know about the whole soc and greaser thing but there won't be anyone there besides my family and Ponyboy you can finally meet my parents." Cherry exclaimed turning towards Ponyboy. "Yipee." Ponyboy said sarcastically as Cherry nudged him in the shoulder. "You don't need to impress them or anything just yourself they're like you. Plus Susie would love it there. We have a lake with jet skis and boats!" Cherry said as my eyes lite up. I turned to Darry with my most pleading eyes ever. "Please?" I whimpered and gave him the puppy eyes. Darry looked around at everyone. "Okay." He said and Cherry shot up off the couch. "Great I'll come by at about 8:00 tomorrow?" Cherry said. She gave Ponyboy a little kiss on the cheek and she bolted off without us answering her question.


	23. Chapter 23

We woke up real early in the morning so we could pack everything before Cherry got here. We packed and packed and when we were done we felt like we couldn't move a muscle. We all plopped down on the bed and suddenly the doorbell rang. We all moaned because getting the door would involve getting up but we all fought it and got the door. We piled all our stuff in the trunk and climbed into Cherry's car. "Here we go!" Cherry exclaimed as she started the engine. It wasn't that long of a drive and I could see the closer we got to Cherry's cabin the more and more Ponyboy got nervous meeting Cherry's parents. We could all see he was scared but none of us said anything. We finally got there after about an hour and a half drive and gaped when we got out of the car and saw the cabin or should I say mansion. "What the heck is this? The white house!" Darry exclaimed. "Ha ha very funny." Cherry sarcastically. "How is my sweet little baby!" Said two adults as they came coming towards Cherry and gave her a giant hug. They were both real rich you could tell by their clothing and looked exactly like Cherry. Mr and Mrs. Valance let go of Cherry and by one look of Ponyboy Cherry's dad stopped smiling and Cherry's mom faked one. You could tell they didn't like the way Ponyboy dressed and how greasy his hair was or maybe it was more. "Mom, dad met Ponyboy. Ponyboy met my mom and dad." Cherry said introducing them. Ponyboy gulped but suddenly came up with something to say. Ponyboy put out his hand for them to shake it. "Very nice to meet you Mr and Mrs. Valance." Cherry's parents just looked at his hand almost scared before shaking it like he was some germ freak. Suddenly they looked at me and both their smiles came back. "Oh and you must be sweet little Susie! Cherry has told us so much about you!" Mrs. Valance said excitedly. "Why thank you Mrs. Valance." I said trying my best to be polite. "Oh stop it you can call me Elizabeth." Mrs. Valance said. "Okay _Elizabeth_." Ponyboy said. Mrs. Valance whirled around to look at Ponyboy. "Oh no you can call me Mrs. Valance." She said and started walking to cabin with her husband. Ponyboy slumped down. "Come on Ponyboy we still have time it's only been about five minutes." Cherry said patting his back. When we all got in the cabin and set all our stuff down we all sat around the dining room table and chit-chatted. "Well Ponyboy is... an original name." Mr. Valance said. "My parents were original people." Ponyboy answered obviously not wanting to talk about his parents. "So how come your parents didn't come we would have loved to met them!" Mrs. Valance said cheery as we all got real quiet. "Their dead." Ponyboy said shyly. Everybody's smile faded. "Oh I'm real sorry I didn't mean it." said almost the first thing she said to Ponyboy where she meant it. "It's okay." Ponyboy answered. "So who takes care of you then?" Mrs. Valance asks. "Darry does." Ponyboy answers. "All four of you?!"Mr. Valance asks as we all nod our heads. The subject soon changed to the weather and I knew it wasn't going well so I just stared out the window at the lake. It was the most beautiful thing I have seen besides a sunset and a sunset on the lake would be even more beautiful. The boats were out on the dock and I could make out jetskis and a water tube. I looked farther down the lake and could see boats whizzing by as fast as they could go. I looked to the left where the Valance's neighbors were and could see a flame from a fire through the woods. I then looked at the Valance's yard, filled with the most beautiful flowers. Sunflowers, roses, violets you name it and there it was. It was getting darker and I knew it was time for dinner pretty soon before Mrs. Valance started cooking. "Why don't I give you a tour." Cherry said just to get us away from her parents. "That would be great." Ponyboy said and shot up from the table quickly knocking everything over that was on the table. I sort of giggled but Darry gave me a stern look that really shut me up. "Oh my I'm sorry I didn't mean to honestly." Ponyboy said getting all red in the face as he bent down to start picking stuff up that fell. "No no it's fine just go on that tour of yours." Mr. Valance exclaimed bending down too to pick up the items that fell. "No I'll pick it up I-" Ponyboy said but got interrupted by Mr. Valance. "Go!" He yelled loudly. Ponyboy got up and stumbled over his own feet. "Sorry." He said but I wasn't sure if he was saying it to Cherry or Mr. Valance. Sodapop and I both looked at each other knowing that this would be the longest weekend of our lives.


	24. Chapter 24

Ponyboy and I had to share a room while everybody else got their own rooms. When we finished the tour of the "white house" it was dinner time and as much as Sodapop and Darry tried to get Ponyboy to talk he wouldn't say a word. I felt bad for him knowing that he probably ruined getting along with Cherry's parents but I was mostly scared about what was happening in the dining room downstairs. Mr. Valance wanted to have a "talk" with Ponyboy before he went to bed and I knew it was going to be something real juicy. Darry had told Sodapop and I not to sneak down there and see what was going on but I could see that even he wanted to watch them. Finally I decided I couldn't help myself and I had to see what was going on. I tiptoed to the door and opened it. Unlike the doors back home this didn't creak, perfect sneaking out doors. I turned around to close it and suddenly something ran into me. It was so dark in the hall I screamed not knowing who it was. Someone then put their hand over my mouth so my screaming was just mumbling. What if someone snuck in? The doors were perfect for it. I tried screaming louder but all that sounded was louder muffles. "Be quiet." Said a familiar voice and then the person let go of my mouth. "Sodapop? What are you doing?" I asked. "What are YOU doing?" He asked and we both knew we were out of our beds for the same reason. "Darry told you not to go downstairs to find out what they're saying." He told me. "He also told you. Come on we both know we want to know what they're talking about." I said begging him that he would let us go see what he was saying. Sodapop let out a sigh before saying, "Okay but don't let anyone hear you." He said and we both headed down the stairs. As we kept walking we could make out small words like the or as but nothing much until we reached the bottom of the steps. We hid behind the wall and peaked our heads out just enough so we could see what was going on. "You're just a dumb old greaser and I have no idea why Cherry likes you. With your long greased up hair. I never liked for both of the times I saw you on television. First time about that friend of yours killing that boy and believe I was surprised a rag like you could save a bunch of kids from a fire. I don't really believe that story do you? And second about poor little Susie. Did you bribe her with money to say all those nice things? If I could pick I would put Susie in an adoption center." Mr. Valance said yelling at him confidently. "Stop it." Ponyboy said weakly. "Oh you want me to stop? Look kid I hated you since the day I saw you on the news and then I find out you're dating my daughter?!" Mr. Valance said yanking Ponyboy closer to him by his shirt by his throat. "I love your daughter." Ponyboy said coughing by how hard Mr. Valance was pulling his shirt. "You're never going to saw that again to me you hear? Once you leave this cabin after the weekend I don't want you dating my daughter again or even looking at her! When you see her at school walk the other way you hear?!" Mr. Valance said and he was getting really angry. "No" Ponyboy said and Sodapop and I knew it was the wrong thing for him to saw. "Ponyboy." I sighed wishing he didn't say that. "What did you say?" Mr. Valance screamed. "I said no. Look I love your daughter and she loves me and I'm not going to get pushed around by her old man. Or should I say VERY old man." Ponyboy said. Ponyboy was just mad, I knew that but he doesn't really make fun of people like that especially not adults. He really does care about Cherry more then I thought. Mr. Valance's face was raging red. "You little." Mr. Valance said and suddenly me and Sodapop's eyes popped out. Mr. Valance punched him in the gut and suddenly punched him in the face right where his eye was. Ponyboy got knocked to the ground holding his chest in one hand and his eye in the other. "Ponyboy!" Sodapop and I both said at the same time as we came rushing towards him. He was rolling all over the floor trying to catch his breath. Ponyboy wasn't the strongest fellow in Tulsa, Oklahoma but he should would have gotten right back up if it had been some soc but Ponyboy looked like he didn't know he had legs, or didn't know how to use them at least. I turned towards Mr. Valance and started shouting. "How could you." I said but Mr. Valance didn't look the least worried. "What's going on down here I heard screaming and-" Mrs. Valance said and stopped when she saw Ponyboy. She looked to her husband with evil eyes. "What did you do to this innocent boy!" Mrs. Valance said leaning down to see Ponyboy closer. "Innocent?! You didn't treat him all that well either you know." Sodapop said but Mrs. Valance just ignored him. Ponyboy kept grunting and then started grunting louder knowing that the pain was getting worse and curled up in more of a ball. Knowing that he probably couldn't get up and stay up Sodapop put him in his arms and lifted up off the ground. I got up and stayed right next to Sodapop. "Where are you going?" Mrs. Valance asked. "Somewhere you're not." Sodapop as we walked away from them and opened the door to me and Ponyboy's room. Sodapop set him on the bed as Ponyboy kept grunting but quieter. "I'm going to get the first aid kit in the bathroom." Sodapop said and came as quickly as he left with the first aid kit. He got out the cotton balls and dipped it in some medicine. "I looked at Ponyboy's eye and it honestly looked like he needed stitches. Sodapop put the cotton ball on Ponyboy's eye and Ponyboy sucked in a bunch of air knowing that it stung like crazy. "Sure ain't gonna be a doctor anytime soon." Ponyboy whispered, his voice cracking. "Ah you, I wouldn't be talking like that after what happened a few minutes ago. Sodapop said still consintrating on wiping his eye. After he finished that he looked at Ponyboy's shirt seeing that most of the blood from his eye fell on his shirt. "You can't sleep in that." Sodapop said as he lifted Ponyboy's shirt over his head. We both saw Ponyboy's chest at the same time. It was all purple and black from where Mr. Valance punched him. "Ouch." I whispered quietly. Sodapop dug in the first aid kit and found some sort of lotion and one of those giant bandages. After the lotion, bandage, and Ponyboy had a cleaner shirt on, Sodapop went back to his bed trusting me to come find him if Ponyboy was feeling any worse than he is now. When we shut off the lights and was all snug in the bed I had to talk to someone. "Ponyboy?" I asked. "Huh?" He replied sounding pretty bad. "I know how much you love Cherry but you do realize that Mr. Valance will kill if you keep going out with her and I mean literally kill you." Even in the dark I could see Ponyboy wince at the thought of what I just said. "I know. To tell you the truth I honestly don't know what to do." We both sighed and flipped to face the other side of the bed. Well, not Ponyboy as much as he tried he hurt so much that he just sort a flopped around before giving up. I chuckled at him under my breath before falling asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

I woke up by the light being on. I turned to see Ponyboy and found Sodapop there looking at him talking. "What are you doing here Soda?" I asked squinting from the light. "Oh Susie I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you up. I was just seeing how Ponyboy was doing." Sodapop said as Ponyboy's stomach growled. "You think you can get up for some breakfast?" Sodapop asked him. "I think so." Ponyboy answered trying to get up. With a little bit of Sodapop's help he finally got up. He started walking around clutching his chest. "You sure you're okay?" Sodapop asked conserned. "Yeah it just hurts a bit, I'll be fine." "Okay but don't hurt yourself too much." Sodapop said as we walked slowly downstairs to the dining room to get some food finding Darry, Cherry, and Mr and Mrs. Valance there. "Hey there you are!" Darry said excitingly. We walked a bit more hoping he wouldn't notice Ponyboy walking funny and his eye but he noticed both. "What happened to your eye kid?" Darry asked. "Why you walking so funny too." Cherry said. Sodapop, Ponyboy, and I all looked at Mr. Valance and he shook his head no. Ponyboy quickly came up with something. "I sorta ran into something." He said. We knew Darry and Cherry didn't buy it but the just ignored it anyway. Ponyboy came up to the chair and sat down slowly wincing because of his chest. "You okay?" Darry asked knowing for certain that Ponyboy didn't run into something but someone. "Yeah I'm fine, really." Ponyboy lied. Mr. Valance sat down in the chair farthest away from Ponyboy as Mrs. Valance handing out the plates of bacon and toast leaving Ponyboy with the burnt plate of food. "You wouldn't mind the tad burnt one now wouldcha?" Mr. Valance said staring Ponyboy down. "No, not at all." Ponyboy answered back. "Mom, dad, where are your plates of food?" Cherry asked. "Oh we already ate, were going to the grocery store today so you'll be on your own for a bit. We better go right now." Mrs. Valance said as they got up and left but before Mr. Valance left he came up to Ponyboy and whispered something in his ear that made Ponyboy gulped and widen his eyes though I couldn't hear what he said. I leaned over to Ponyboy and whispered, "What did he say?" "Nothing." He lied. "How would you like to hook up the water tube to the boat after breakfast and take it for a spin?" Cherry asked looking around at all of us. "Sure!" Sodapop said. "Great I'll go get my swimsuit on." Cherry said as she sprinted upstairs. When Cherry was gone Darry started talking. "Okay now that Cherry's gone what really happened to your eye and why are you walking so funny! I know you guys are keeping it from me and I'm not going anywhere until you tell me the truth." Darry said sternly. Ponyboy sighed before starting the whole story. When Ponyboy finished Darry looked real shook up. "I'm, I'm sorry Ponyboy but I don't know what to say." There was a long pause before someone talked again. "I know how much you love Cherry but I don't think it's...safe." Darry said picking his words carefully. Suddenly Cherry comes sprinting down the stairs. "Why aren't you ready?" Cherry asked. "We were just going up to get them on." Darry said getting up and pushing Sodapop and I closer to the stairs. After we got our swimsuits on except for Ponyboy because of what Mr. Valance did we all went down to the boat and hooked up the water tube to the back of it. "Are you sure you just want to stay in the boat?"Cherry asked. "Yeah it's just that my stomach hurts." Ponyboy said. "Well I hope you get better." Cherry said softly and kissed him on the lips but Ponyboy pulled back. "That's probably going to be the last time they did that." I said to Sodapop and Darry when we all were lying on the tube. Darry nudged me a bit. "What did you say, Susie?" Cherry asked looking back from the boat. "Nothing. Just talking to myself." I answered back as the boat started up. We started off real slow because none of us has never done anything like this but it soon caught up to speed. We were all laughing and then we hit a huge bump on the lake that knocked Darry, Sodapop and I off the tube. When we finally got our heads over the water we started laughing even more. The more we fell the more it was fun. After we went on the water tube we went on the jet skis. As much as it hurt Ponyboy he knew that this would probably be the last time he spent time with Cherry. Sodapop and I shared a jet ski, Cherry and Ponyboy, and Darry got his own. Cherry was the leader and we all followed her until she stopped my the shore. Their was a big wooden chest just sitting there like it's been there for centuries. "People say that this is the only thing left of them. You see these two people were on there honeymoon in a cabin right where that chest is. They say that they blew up the cabin and left on their boat. Some people say they sunk and some people say they went far away. Me? I saw it's all just a ghost story." Cherry said and it gave me the shivers. After we visited the giant chest we all hit this huge bump. We came splashing down and the water went over our jet skis and fell right on top of us. We were all soaking wet. By then it was getting sort a dark out and we all piled into the cabin. We all went into our own rooms to dry off and this was my time to talk to Ponyboy. Ponyboy went to grab a towel and we both sat on the bed not afraid we would get it wet. "Does your stomach hurt even worse?" I asked knowing that it probably did. Ponyboy nodded as he wipped all the water on his face. "Come on Pony you haven't talked all day. We all know you're bummed about Cherry but do you really want to spend the last day with her not talking?" I asked. Ponyboy didn't act like he heard me and kept wiping his face. Then he used the towel and scrubbed it all over my hair to dry it. When he took the towel out of my hair he started chuckling and I knew that it was probably sticking straight up all over. Ponyboy messed with it until it was sitting flat on my head. Suddenly Darry and Sodapop came in and sat down on the bed. "I've been trying to get him to talk but he won't." I said to them. "Ponyboy come on. Is there something more you didn't tell us?" Darry asked. Ponyboy nodded his head shyly. "When Mr. Valance was yelling at me, I could smell alcohol." Ponyboy said and we all fell silent.


End file.
